The Wolf Within The Possesions of the Wild series Volume 2
by averyloves2write
Summary: Follow the path of the nomad as she must continue fighting in order to become a fellow shinobi of Konoha. I will do my best to follow the canon plotline, but expect a parallel universe here This is the second volume of the 'The Possessions of the Wild' series.
1. 1 Homecoming

**_(The pic in the media is a pic I found on Tumblr that immediately had me think of Kaiya since it looks very similar to Kaiya. More info and credits given in the A/N at the end of the chapter)._**

**_1| Homecoming_**

* * *

It was a warm summer day as Team Guy returned from a mission. A pair of 16 to 17 year-olds Tenten, Neji and Lee entered the gates of Konoha, accompanied by a 30-ish-year-old Guy.

'I still can't believe you became a Jounin, Neji!' Tenten said.

Recently enough, Neji was promoted to the rank of jounin and, while he seemed mostly unfazed by it, everyone wouldn't stop talking about it.

'Good morning, Guy!' Koutetsu, one of the guards, called out as usual. 'How was this mission?'

'It was great! We finished it in record time.' Guy answered with a huge smile. 'How's guarding? Did anything interesting happen?'

'Pretty much the usual, you know it.' Koutetsu said, with a flick of his hand. 'Boring as always.'

Just as he said that, someone entered the village as well, bumping a little onto Lee. She opened her mouth to give a quick apology, but she had been recognised.

'Kaiya!' Lee exclaimed loudly.

'Lee.' The girl answered in a quieter voice that carried the same tone of surprise.

The two stared at each other in shock, neither of them understanding very well what was happening.

Kaiya took a deep breath as she analysed the boy. Yep, it was the Lee she knew- he had the same scent and the appearance were nearly the same. _What were the chances of this happening?_

As she did that, Lee couldn't help but analyse the girl. She grew and developed alot since he remembered her. She got taller by about half a head, a slightly sharper face, her brown hair now grew up right under her ears, and the simple clothes she had remained in about the same style he remembered her to have, along with a familiar tachi on her back. For a reason unknown to him, his heart missed a beat at her sight. Maybe the reasoning behind it wasn't so unknown or hard to guess- he didn't need more than one glance at her appearance to realise that he found her attractive.

'Kaiya?' Tenten asked, her eyes widening. 'Is that you?'

Kaiya did the same check with Tenten, Neji and Guy as she did with Lee- they were all the same people from three years ago.

'Yeah, that's me.' Kaiya said softly, with a sheepish smile. 'I'm back.'

'_Oh my god!' _Tenten exclaimed, before catching Kaiya into a hug. 'I missed you so much!'

In response, Kaiya smiled now more broadly as she hugged Tenten back. 'I missed you, too.'

As Tenten hugged Kaiya, the rest of the team couldn't help but watch in awe. The girl was the same Kaiya they knew, but something in her was different. Her aura felt a little... _warmer. _

'Kaiya?' Koutetsu exclaimed. '_Kaiya Hatake?' _

Kaiya got out of Tenten's grip and forced a smile at the man.

'Yes, sir. That's me. But I don't go by Hatake.' She said. 'I never did, and presumably never will.'

The guard's eyes widened in surprise for a second, before returning to normal as he remembered more of what he heard- the girl didn't know of her father until three years ago at Orochimaru's attack during the Chūunin exams. He sighed lightly. It was understandable, he supposed.

'You guys just returned from a mission, right?' Kaiya asked her team.

The group nodded.

'Then we can go to the Hokage's office together!' Kaiya said with a smile. 'I need to make it official that I returned and all that, you know- all the official stuff.'

The small group seemed to be quite happy with it- even Neji, whose face now carried a content look.

'That kid sure is interesting.' Koutetsu told Izumo, the other guard.

'Mhm.' Izumo agreed a little absently, as he scribbled something in a notebook. 'Wonder about her potential, though. Kakashi-san and Sakumo-san are both strong shinobi. Saying that the other side is strong too, things might get hectic.'

'The other side?' Koutetsu asked confused.

'_You_ _know_\- her mother and all that.'

'Oh. Well, how weak can that family be?' Kotetsu shrugged. 'Kakashi could've not been attracted to that woman for nothing.'

'Like you know anything about women.' Izumo said, jokingly.

'_Shut up!'_

'So you'll remain in Konoha now?' Neji asked as they walked to the Hokage's office. 'For good?'

'Hopefully, yes.' Kaiya said.

'How's with the clan?' Guy asked, careful in choosing his words. 'Are they ok with you in Konoha, or...'

'They don't mind much.' Kaiya shrugged. 'Most of them don't, anyway. I got most things settled, so I'll probably be able to remain here as long I please.'

'That's good.' Tenten said, with a little doubt in her voice. 'Right?'

'Mhm.' Kaiya agreed, relaxing the girl.

'Well, here we are- The main building.' Guy announced.

Kaiya looked at the building. It was the same as she remembered. In fact, on her way to the main building, she noticed how in the past three years, the village hardly changed.

The village healed well after Orochimaru's attack and were a few new decorations and shops that Kaiya didn't remember, but as a whole, the village was the same as she remembered. Kaiya smiled. It felt nice returning to Konoha.

The group entered the building and, soon enough, they found themselves on the Fifth Hokage's office. The Hokage, also known as Tsunade, looked at Kaiya in surprise, with a tint of interest and pleasure in her eyes.

'I'm glad to see you again, Kaiya.' Tsunade said with a smile. 'You really meant it when you said you'd return in Konoha, didn't you?'

'Yes, ma'am.' Kaiya answered, shortly.

'I suppose you'd like to return back to the shinobi life?' Tsunade asked.

Kaiya nodded.

'Alright. Good. I'd like to test you and see how much you've improved and, perhaps, if you're ready for a higher rank. I'll find a shinobi and I'll let you know more when I find something. For now, welcome back to Konoha.' Tsunade said, before looking in one of her drawers and pulling out a key. 'This should be your apartment's key.'

'Thank you, Hokage-sama.' Kaiya said with a bow, before looking at her team for a moment. 'See y'all later.'

The girl left and the Hokage was left with the rest of Guy's team.

'It's nice to have her back, don't you think?' Tsunade asked. 'I've been thinking quite a lot about her case in the past three years.'

'Well, it's interesting to hear.' Tenten agreed.

'I wonder about what her abilities now are.' Lee said, with a tint of excitement. 'She looks much more youthful than I thought!'

'What's that supposed to mean...?' Tenten asked, her face dropping a little.

Tsunade shook her head.

'Nevermind that.' She said. 'Tell me about your mission.'

The walk to her apartment was rather short and, being honest to herself, a little nostalgic.

She walked around town holding her apartment keys tight, until, eventually, she reached her apartment door. She fiddled with her keys for a moment, before deciding to open the door.

'Hello, Kaiya.' A familiar voice said from down the hallway as a warm vibe surrounded Kaiya. 'It's nice to see you back.'

Kaiya looked to where the voice was coming from and saw a familiar old man, who smiled at her. Kaiya relaxed- it could've not been anyone but her old neighbour that passed away a long time ago, but who decided to haunt the apartment building.

'Takahata-san!' Kaiya exclaimed as she stopped from what she was doing, pleased to see the man. 'It's good to see you, too. How are you?'

'I'm doing good, thank you for asking. You know, your father passed by very often to check on your apartment while you were gone.'

'My father?' Kaiya furrowed her eyebrows as the image of her step-father came to her mind, before realising what the man meant. 'You mean Kakashi-san?'

The man nodded. 'That's the one.'

Kaiya smiled.

'Well, that's very nice of him.' She said, unsure what else to say. 'It really is.'

'You came a long way, didn't you? You should rest.'

Kaiya nodded. 'Thank you.'

The man nodded understandingly and, as he took his leave, before turning around as something came to mind.

'One last thing, Kaiya-san.' He said. 'I really wanted to ask you something.'

Kaiya frowned as she tensed a little. She hated the phrase _I need to ask you something _with a nearly burning passion.

'What is it?' She asked, her voice turning cold.

'I died over twenty years ago, in the last great war.' He said. 'How comes you're able to see and talk to me, while nobody else can't?'

Kaiya sighed lightly in relief.

'There's a sort of side effect to my family's Kekkei Genkai that one or two people get every other generation. The side effect allows those people to see the spirits of the dead.' Kaiya explained, on short. 'It's not always pleasant, but what's always pleasant, after all?'

The old man smiled.

'I see.' He said. 'Well, power always comes with responsibility- that's what my father would always say. In my perspective, he's right. But anyhow, it's nice talking to someone living, from time to time.'

They chatted for a little longer, before the old man eventually decided that it was time for Kaiya to settle in, at last. Luckily for her, she didn't have anything with her except for her tachi and a now much nicer weapon bag made out of animal skin, which meant very little work now. Unluckily for her, this meant a lot of shopping and savings later on.

She entered the apartment and took a deep breath. Her scent was hardly present now, covered by another scent, which wasn't the one of dust or old air- rather the contrary.

The apartment- which remained unchanged since she left- was fairly clean and it had fresh air. Only difference? It was obvious that someone else went in the apartment. The scent was quite relaxing as it reminded her a bit of home, but it still made her nose wrinkle a little. The scent was one that had a mix of autumn forests and... _wet dogs._ Her nose wrinkled a bit, as she decided to open some windows.

After she opened them, a presence suddenly made itself present. It felt very familiar, and it wasn't mister Takahata. The presence was there when she first moved in- it was the same presence that would sometimes break her plates. She wondered why she never really took a curious eye in it.

Kaiya looked around but, unlike other un-living presences she came across, she couldn't spot anyone. She could only feel their presence, which appeared to be somewhere in front of her.

'Hello.' She said, calming herself down. 'I'm Kaiya. Do you remember me?'

The presence shifted a little to the left.

'I hope that was an yes.' Kaiya laughed dryly. 'I'm moving back in. Hope you don't mind sharing the apartment again.'

This time, the presence didn't move anymore.

'If you don't want me to move in, or you need me, throw something at me. Preferably, a pillow.' Kaiya said. 'Ok? Great.'

She then began looking around the small one-bedroom apartment, familiarising herself once again with the place. Although the place was clean and generally fine, it still needed a few things in order to fully gain the name _home. _

First of all, she needed food and clothes. Second of all, she needed to somehow get rid of the smell. She might want to do something about the fact there were no more blankets and rugs on the ground, like at home.

Just as she thought of those things back in the living room, the doorknob moved, letting the door open. Allowing her instincts to take control for a moment, she reached for a somewhat used, silver kunai that was thrown in an instant next to the door, nearly hitting the intruder in the head.

'Who's there?' She demanded, her hand gripping her tachi on her back, ready to pull it out at any second.

'Re... _Relax_, it's just me.' A silver-haired man said with a nervous laugh, raising his hands up a bit, in defeat.

'Kakashi-san.' Kaiya said, surprised. 'I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to come.'

Around that moment, Kaiya felt the presence shift around the room like crazy, but she had other worries at the moment. _Great, _She thought, _now she had a hole in the wall to fix for nothing._

Kakashi smiled a little, understandingly. He didn't know the girl so well, but from what he remembered from her fight with Kiba three years ago, she did manage to improve on her reflexes and aim.

'It's alright.' He said. 'Lady Hokage didn't announce to me about you returning, so I came by to check on your apartment.'

Kaiya tilted her head to a side, a little confused. Her neighbour already told her about him coming by to look for the apartment, but now that she finally got to think of it, it sounded a little weird. Being honest with herself, she couldn't really see the masked jonin as a maid who cleaned and took care of rooms.

'Thank you.' She said, regaining her posture. 'But I have a question. May I ask it, Kakashi-san?'

Kakashi hesitated a little, before shrugging. He was used with questions due to his team of genin-, especially Naruto. How bad could this be?

'Ask.' He said.

'Why did you take care of my apartment? Some genin or chuunin would've been just as capable of checking my apartment. Why you, out of all people?'

Kakashi's face wrinkled a little at the girl's questions. How was he supposed to answer the questions?

In a way, Kaiya understood the mixed feelings the man had but was it really necessary to get this involved? Much to her surprise, the man let out a smile.

'It's complicated.' He said, in a light manner. 'You'll understand when you're older.'

After he said that, he turned around and left nonchalantly, without even saying goodbye.

'_I'm seventeen_.' She muttered under her breath, with a shake of the head.

She contemplated for a little longer about what just happened, before brushing it off and continued with what she was doing, relaxing a little as the spirit stopped shifting in its madness.

Meanwhile, the Hokage's office was hectic as Tsunade was nearly buried under all the paperwork.

'Why did I have to be Hokage, Shizune?' She asked as she massaged her temples.

'Because you were the best candidate, Tsunade-sama.' The woman, Shizune, answered.

'I didn't even want to be a candidate!' Tsunade roared, before calming down. 'All this because that stupid Jiraiya... and now the Hatake kid's here too.'

'Kaiya didn't really do anything, though...' Shizune pointed out, hesitantly.

'No, but everything seems upside down, especially since the word got out like that.' She sighed. 'Let's just hope she's good shinobi material. We really need some, with the Akatsuki and all that being out there.'

'Did you find anybody to test her? Maybe Ibiki-san could do...' Shizune said.

'Maybe.' Tsunade shrugged. 'But he's pretty busy at the Interrogation office. I was actually thinking of Anko.'

'Mitarashi Anko?' Shizune asked, surprised. 'That might actually be a good choice. She's an exam proctor, so she might know just how to make things difficult without making it too dangerous. Should I send a word to her?'

Tsunade nodded. 'Mhm. Contact Kaiya about as well after you get things settled with Anko.'

'Yes, miss!' Shizune said with a bow, before leaving the room.

Tsunade looked at the door absently for a few moments, before returning to the papers on her desk with a sigh. She couldn't wait to retire.

**A/N**  
**Hey y'all!**

**How's it going? I'm really happy to present you guys the first chapter from 'The Wolf Within'! What do you guys think?**

**I've been working quite a bit on this chapter to get it right, so it took longer than expected to get it right. Anyhow, here it is!**

**The drawing in the media is something I found on Tumblr, by the artist ****_akatsukiarts. _****Here's the original drawing:**

**Now, for the record, I'm still not done with Naruto Shippuden, but I'm mid war arc at like episode 380, so, if this fanfic gets to the war arc faster than planned and I'm still not done with it, then the chapter writing will slow down considerably. **

**But I'll most likely be done with it by then, so don't worry much!**

**So, I didn't ask. What do you guys think of this chapter? **

***rubs hands* I'm really happy to say that I have a ship planned for Kaiya, but I won't spoil it just yet. So enjoy.**

**-Avery**


	2. 2 A new adventure

**2| A new adenture**

* * *

'I'm sorry, _what?' _Kaiya spat out in shock as she took the headband out from her eyes. 'But he's the Kazekage, goddammit!'

'I know, everyone shocked.' Tsunade said, calmly. 'But we need to act. We have a friendship with the Sand, and this is the right moment to show that we're willing to keep it.'

Just a two days after Kaiya's return, team Gai was called in an emergency to the Hokage's office, only to find out that Gaara, the new Kazekage of the Sand, was kidnapped by the Akatsuki, some sort of groupation whose goal still wasn't clear.

'I already sent Kakashi and his team to the Sand to take care of the situation, and I need you guys to go as backup.' Tsunade explained.

At the mention of Kakashi, everyone's eyes moved to Kaiya for a moment, before brushing it off.

'Is it necessary, though?' Neji asked. 'Team 7 has good members, plus Kakashi-san.'

'This is a delicate situation. The more, the better.' Shizune said.

'Well said, Shizune. Anyway, here's an informative scroll about your mission, in case that the Sand guards will question you- which they surely will.'

Tsunade took a scroll from one of the drawers, which she opened briefly to sign before handing it to them.

'You will discuss your plan with Team Kakashi and, if one of you run, by chance, into an Akatsuki member while you're separated from the rest of the group, you will _not _fight them alone, and you'll report them as soon as possible to authorities. _Is everything clear?' _Tsunade instructed, as she pursed her lips and spoke every word separately by the end.

'Yes, ma'am!' The group nodded.

'Then I expect nothing but the best from you.' Tsunade said, more relaxingly. 'Off you go.'

The group nodded one more time. Guy stepped ahead with one of his typical big grins and took the scroll in one of his hands.

'We won't disappoint you, Hokage-sama!' He said confidently, before turning to his team. 'Let's go!'

The group all obeyed and walked out, energetically, letting Tsunade alone with Shizune and Tonton again.

'It's nice having you back, Kaiya.' Tenten smiled, as they walked down the hallway. 'We'll finally be able to do missions with the entire group now.'

For some reason, Kaiya's heart warmed up as it fastened its beat for a moment. The _whole _team...? She shook her head with a smile. Enough of this sentimental stuff.

'I'm glad to return, too.' She said. 'Although, I never expected our first mission to be like this.'

Tenten laughed. 'Well, at least it's something more interesting, right?'

'It going to be a really youthful mission!' Lee exclaimed. 'We'll be able to help Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan, isn't that great?'

'Naruto... he also returned in town the other day, didn't he?' Kaiya asked.

'Mhm.' Neji confirmed. 'He got sent on the mission just a few hours after he came.'

Kaiya's face wrinkled a bit. 'Man, that sucks!'

'Don't worry much- it's good for the body.' Guy said with a halt, as they exited the main building. 'Ok. Here's the deal- you guys run home and pack a few necessary things for a week's trip- some water, food, clothes and a few weapons, and we'll meet at the gates in an hour. Got it?'

Everyone nodded, before each departing to their homes.

Kaiya walked around her apartment aimlessly. She was just about done with packing up, but was doing the last checks.

Weapons? There. After some thoughts, she eventually opted in taking her tachi with her. She was nearly sure that they wouldn't run into the enemy, it was better to be safe than sorry. After all- whoever the Akatsuki was, they managed to capture a Kage and that said something.

A few spare clothes? There. Food? The amount of rice she fried should do just fine for a meal and a half, along with a small sack made out of animal skin for water she got from her father -well, step-father if you wanted to be precise- not too long ago after they went hunting once.

As she did the last checks, a knock was heard from her door, catching Kaiya's attention. Kaiya tensed up and hesitated, grabbing her kunai. The knock repeated.

'Kaiya-san, it's me, Lee.' A voice from the other side of the door said. 'I wondered if we could walk to the gates together?'

On the other side of the door, Lee pursed his lips a bit. His move was too sudden, for sure, but he wanted to talk to the girl. It wasn't anything important, but they didn't really talk since her arrival and Lee wanted to catch up to how she was now doing.

Hearing the familiar voice, Kaiya relaxed her body with a light sigh of relief. She put her kunai away in her small weaponry bag.

'Sure, why not.' She said, calmly. There was nothing to lose, so she had nothing that held her back. 'Just give me one minute and we can leave.'

'Take your time.' Lee assured, now smiling broadly.

Fair enough, it didn't take long until Kaiya exited her apartment with a tachi and a small backpack on her back, allowing the two to leave.

'So how are you now?' Kaiya asked as they moved through town.

'Nothing much, other than the usual,' Lee shrugged. 'Training, going on missions and repeat.'

Kaiya snorted a little. 'Can you _still _believe that the Kazekage got kidnapped? The new Kazekage is that redhead you fought in the Chuunin exams, right?'

Lee nodded in approval. 'That one.'

'Hmph. I'd say he nearly deserves it, but that would be horrible and sick to say.' Kaiya said. 'Nobody has the right to say such things.'

Lee looked at the girl, taken aback for a moment.

'That's correct.' He said, quietly.

He kept quiet for the rest of the walk. It wasn't that he didn't know what to say- he had quite a few questions and various stories to tell, but, for one reason or another, he felt like this wasn't the best moment.

Eventually, they reached the gates, where Gai and Tenten were waiting. From yet a few meters away, Kaiya called out to them with a wave -nearly giving Lee a heart attack-, to which they responded with a large smile and a greeting.

'Hey, is Neji not here yet?' Kaiya asked with a frown, when they finally reached the two.

'Who's not here?' A slightly deeper, confused voice asked behind Kaiya, making Tenten burst laughing for a moment.

Kaiya turned around surprised, only to see Neji looking at her calmly, almost disappointed. _How comes she didn't sense him coming? Curse her half-bloodness!._

'So, everyone's here.' She stated as she turned around to face Neji, trying to keep a straight face and not show the embarrassment growing inside her.

Guy looked at the group, checking. 'Yep, everyone's here. Are you guys ready?'

Each member answered positively.

'Then, we should not lose any time and catch up to team Kakashi!'

'Roger!' Said the group at once, before fleeing into the same direction, deep into the forest.

A few hours later, the group was still going. By now, it became slightly clearer that everyone improved in the past years, as they all had a faster pace and better stamina that didn't let them become fatigued so easily.

'So tell me, Kaiya,' Guy began, curiously, 'what did you do in the past three years?'

The group listened and paid close attention to what Kaiya was about to say. After all, taking her background, they were nearly dying to know more.

'Nothing much, to be honest.' She shrugged in response. 'I trained a lot with my father, cousin and brother, and the elders of my clan took me in to learn to control my Spirit Seer abilities.'

'A spirit _what_?' Guy asked in confusion, his forehead wrinkling.

'It's a side effect to her family's Kekkei Genkai that some people suffer from.' Lee informed. 'It allows them to see the spirits of the dead. Is that correct, Kaiya-san?'

Kaiya turned her head to the boy, her eyes wide open in surprise.

'The description is on point.' She told him. 'I'm impressed.'

'That's very youthful of you to know, Lee!' Guy said. 'Great job!'

Lee looked obviously pleased and delighted with the compliment. 'Thank you, Guy-sensei!'

'So, what can you do now, Kaiya?' Tenten asked.

'That some people _suffer of_? How is any of the side effect suffering?' Neji said, just as Kaiya opened her mouth to answer Tenten's question.

'Well, the side effect slowly consumes your chakra. As a kid, if you don't know how to control the powers, the ability is more or less always on, thus keeping your chakra on the low.' Kaiya explained. 'Besides, it's not really pleasant to see things that others don't. Now, on Tenten's question, I can save a lot of chakra, and I'm currently working on summoning spirits- basically, a ritual in which I can bring ghosts to me if I wish.'

'Y-You can summon ghosts?' Guy asked.

'Not yet.' Kaiya laughed, amused by the man's reaction. 'I'm still working on it. The elders did their best to teach it to me, and now it's all about me and how I cope with it.'

'_Amazing.' _Tenten said, honestly impressed. 'So, you're able to see ghosts from Konoha, too, right?'

'Mhm.' Kaiya nodded. 'I can't really tell the difference between the living and the dead, though. They all look consistent and active just like living people. One of my so-said neighbours is dead, actually. I didn't realise it until my mother came and pointed out she didn't see him.'

The group was impressed with the girl. For a moment, Neji's mind flickered to his father for a moment, before closing his eyes, deactivating his Byakugan that made itself present at the boy's mix of thoughts and emotions.

Soon enough, it became night and it was time for the group to rest. They stopped next to a stone wall, where they made a fire.

'Are you sure that we'll make it in time, sensei?' Kaiya asked, tilting her head to a side. 'If we slowed down and walked, we could cover somewhat of the journey.'

Guy sighed. 'You're right, but if we want to help team Kakashi, we need to be in full force. We can't do that with no sleep and little food.'

Kaiya pursed her lips, before nodding in agreement.

'You're right, sensei.' She said. 'I'm sorry for putting a silly question.'

Guy frowned.

'There's no such thing as a silly question!' He said. 'That was a good plan- we just need rest, ok?'

'Yes, sensei.' Kaiya said, before sitting down, resting her body on a large stone just a little smaller than her.

She closed her eyes just one time, yet it was enough to get her to fall asleep. Her teammates looked at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

'And she wanted us to walk all night? She's exhausted!' Tenten exclaimed, careful not to speak too loudly.

'She must be stressed.' Lee considered. 'Who knows what her family's like- they might react to things different on the way we do.'

'But they seemed willing to give her some good skills as a shinobi. She might as well become a fine weapon.' Neji considered.

'You have a point there, Neji.' Tenten thought. 'If she manages to control those special powers of hers, do you think she'll make it into the ANBU?'

'Maybe.' Neji shrugged, with a light yawn. 'Or she'll remain a chuunin, or jounin...'

'You all seem tired.' Guy said. 'Go to sleep- we have a full day tomorrow.'

'Yes, sensei.' The three obliged, without any further comments.

They all set themselves comfortable and, soon enough, they all fell asleep. Guy looked at the group and couldn't help but smile a little. He had a group of amazing young shinobi- he couldn't ask for any better. They all cared for each other deeply and, at last, they were all back together. Skilful or not, he knew exactly how he felt towards them.

He was proud.

* * *

**A/N**  
**Yeetus deletus, how's it going, y'all?**

**Here we are, with chapter 2 of 'The Wolf Within'. I worked really hard to bring this to y'all, so why not tell me what did you all think of this chapter? **

**Some of you might have noticed the new cover I made for this book. I really loved the previous cover. I mean, look at it:**

**The problem? The size. The size didn't mcFricking work with Wattpad, and if I changed the text's place, it didn't look as good. So I had to make a whole new cover. Well, I'm quite proud of this cover as well, so there's that.**

**Well, this should be everything for this author's note. See y'all in the next chapter! **

**Yobe! ****_*yeets the mic into the public with the power of a Kobe as I leave the stage*_**

**-Avery **


	3. 3 Teaming up

_"Enter."The Hokage said._

_It was noon and he expected an particular Anbu member. Through the wooden doors came an young woman with sand coloured hair, any sweetness that may have been on her expression disappeared, leaving place to the serious._

_"Good day, Lord Hokage. I came in to report over the you-know-which case." She said as she bowed in respect._

_"Ah, Asumi, coming at last." The Hokage spoke, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "I see that you're still as doubtful as ever of my eavesdropping-free doors. Before you report, may I wonder why your mask isn't covering your face, like always?"_

_"I decided to have a deeper and clearer view into the situation." Asumi explained. "I took cover as an ordinary chuunin ninja named Akari."_

_"Chuunin ninja? Akari?" The Hokage raised his eyebrows. "But isn't that...?"_

_"Yes." Asumi lowered her head. She didn't enjoy talking about that subject._

_"I see." The Hokage nodded understandingly, very well aware of the situation. "Well, go on with your report."_

_Asumi sighed in relief. "The girl is just as you described; tall, dark-brown hair, onyx eyes and around the age of fourteen. Her appearance is seemingly normal, but I felt an weird chakra her."_

_"Weird?" The Hokage raised his eyebrows._

_"Yes, it's nothing I remember meeting. It reminds me of the woods. Now that I think about it... I think it's familiar with the Inuzuka's type of chakra, but only by little. Unlike the Inuzuka's, the girl's feels much more... _**_wild_**_."_

_"I understand." The Hokage nodded, thoughtful. "Anything else?"_

_"Only one thing. Although I wasn't able to find anything much about her past, I don't think she was any princess or someone important. You may have noticed that her appearance was quite unkempt. She truly seems to be starved. I'm surprised she got this tall, to be honest. Maybe it's in her family."_

"_Starved, you say?" The Hokage looked at Asumi with concerned eyes._

"_She looks quite anorexic if you ask me, and you must've seen her when she smelled some food. Before heading here, I left her at Ichiraku's Ramen. I'm sure you know about that restaurant, it's the one that that jinchuriki boy attends often."_

"_Yes, Asumi, I know the restaurant. I've actually payed it a visit a few times, actually. Pretty good food and-' the Hokage stopped when seeing the shinobi's look. "Anyway, you should continue keep an eye on her for awhile."_

"L_ord Hokage, may I ask something?" Asumi hesitantly asked for permission._

"O_f course. What is it?'_

_'Did you find any jounin willing to take her in their team?'_

_'That's something I wanted to inform you about. Your mission might be... getting a little easier here.'_

_'How?'_

_'Listen.' The Hokage scolded. ' Taking from what you said, I think might know an fitting team for her.'_

_'Really?'_

_'Yes. I'll inform the Jounin about our... _**_situation_**_, just in case, and they'll take your job from there when on missions. Is there anything else you or I need to know, Asumi?' The Hokage asked, as Asumi shook her head. 'Well, if everything's clear for you and there's nothing else to tell me, you're off.'_

_The young shinobi nodded and disappeared through thin air._

Kaiya quietly at her table, enjoying an piece of grilled meat that she prepared herself for dinner. Although it only was her first day in Konoha, she barely had time to catch her breath. In the morning, she bumped into Akari who willed to show her Konoha, then met Sakura, who shamelessly asked her some incredibly personal questions, and then had to walk around Konoha for hours on end, dividing her last few ryo to buy some food for the following few days.

As she ate, she suddenly heard an very light sound from her living room's windows.

_Thud!_

She thought it was just her imagination, so she simply brushed it off, continuing to eat her food without worries.

_Thud! Thud!_

This has to be a joke, Kaiya thought. She did, in the end, live on the second floor of the building. No normal being should be able to reach her windows. She let her food down on the counter and walked to the window. Much to her relax, there was no person at the window. Instead, it was a pigeon. Why would an pigeon knock on her window? _Knock on her window?,_ Kaiya thought. That's absurd.

That until she noticed something odd about the pigeon. It had something that looked like a small piece of paper attached to one of its legs. Kaiya opened the window and almost regretted it, as the pigeon crazily flapped its wings as it entered the apartment, landing on Kaiya's stretched right hand as she tried to defend herself from the unexpected attack.

Kaiya remained still for a few moments and, seeing that the pigeon wouldn't make any movements, she slowly lowered her hands, making the pigeon now be at the same height as her eyes. The pigeon chirped a few times as it tilted its blue head from a side to another in curiosity.

Kaiya looked at the attachment the bird was wearing, realising that the bird was an messenger pigeon. For a second, Kaiya considered the thought that the pigeon might've just got lost, but she realised that the chance would be very small. She detached the piece of folded paper from the pigeon's leg and, as she planned to walk to the window to set the bird free, she got interrupted.

_Crash!_

The pigeon flapped it's wings in an panicked manner and blindly found its way to his escape through the open window. Turning around, Kaiya could see the unfinished piece of meat on the ground, surrounded by thousands of small pieces that once formed an white plate.

'What the-' Kaiya exclaimed in surprise.

Kaiya stared at the place where the piece of meat was for a few moments, before beginning to clean up.

'If we continue this way, I'll run out of plates. A set of good plates is quite expensive, and I'm on a tight budget, ya know?' Kaiya said aloud, as she finished cleaning the remaining pieces of plate.

That was when the piece of paper Kaiya left on the table flew off to the ground. It could've been wind, of course, but Kaiya's opinion seemed to differ. Although most people would try and find a reasonable answer to it all, Kaiya always believed that it wasn't something ordinary. After all, she grew with these beliefs.

Kaiya threw the rests of meat and plate pieces and picked up the piece of paper And carefully unfolded it. It turned out to be an square-cutted piece of paper with an generous amount of writing.

_Good afternoon, Kaiya-san._

_I hope that Kotetsu, our messenger pigeon, came in good health bringing you this message. The point of this message is for you to be in informed over your career as an Konoha shinobi. I've talked to the few Jounins specially assigned for training young shinobi, and I found the right team for you. You're expected tomorrow at 9 a.m. In front of the Main Building to meet with your team. _

_P.S. You may want to create your ninja ID. If so, talk to your team leader about it._

_The Third Hokage_

Kaiya leaned on the table, her cheeks twitching. She was fine to do some missions in order to earn her bread, but she lacked teamwork. Growing up mainly on her own, she had to do things on her own most of the time, something that now turned into an lifestyle. Kaiya sighed, as she massaged the muscles next to her eyes. She hoped that, whoever her teammates would be, they'd give her some space, to the very least.

Kaiya hurried down Konoha's streets in agony, bumping into different civilians who'd yell after her in anger. Although it was unusual for it to happen, her body disrupted its biological clock and slept with about two more hours than it normally would. Luckily for Kaiya, although she made it on spot, nobody was there yet. Great, she thought, as she leaned on to the building's wall, catching her breath. It was all quiet for a few minutes, before Kaiya's ears catching something that she identified as footsteps.

'Come on, Lee! We've almost made it!' An voice yelled.

'Yes, sir!' Another voice responded.

Kaiya turned around and her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes widening almost instantly at what she saw. There was an small group formed of two boys and a girl about her age, along with an man somewhere in his 30's. It would actually seem completely normal if the man and one of the boys, the two resembling each other almost painfully, weren't each wearing an green latex suit while racing each other to the Main Building on their hands, leaving the other two behind. As they finally made it to where Kaiya was, the two raised to their feet and high-fived eachother.

'Guy-sensei! I finally made it! Six kilometres using only my arms!' The boy said, excitedly.

Sensei?, Kaiya thought. Then they must be one of those teams that the Hokage talked about.

'Good job, Lee!' The man called Guy congratulated, giving an thumbs up along with an large smile that showed off his enormous teeth.

'Come _on_, guys! We'll never make it in time if you two walk so slow!' Lee yelled to his teammates, who were not hurrying in any way to get there.

'An smart person would never hurry on their way the way you do, Lee.' The other boy answered while getting some of his long hair out of his face, making Lee frown.

'Neji...' An girl with her hair arranged in two buns and dressed in Chinese-type clothes scoffed.

Neji only shrugged and continued his way where Lee was, unbothered. Kaiya watched the whole situation half-amused. Maybe it was too early for her to assume anything, but she felt an slight rivalry between the two boys. The three kids started talking, but when their sensei said something Kaiya couldn't comprehend, they turned their attention on Kaiya. Seeing all the gazes being on her, she looked away.

'Good morning.' Lee now spoke louder and more reserved. 'Are you Kaiya?'

The girl mumbled something that sounded like _Of course she is, _while Kaiya turned around at the sound of her name.

'Eh, yes. Can I help you?' Kaiya asked, hesitantly. Most of the time, whenever she was approached by someone, it didn't really end well.

'Well, it's more of how _we _can help you.' Guy greeted, walking towards Kaiya. 'You're waiting for your team to arrive, am I right?'

Kaiya looked at him wide-eyed. For all she knew, if an stranger most randomly approached and asked you personal questions like your program of plans, you weren't on safe ground. She quickly lied, shaking her head in disapproval, making Guy snort in amusement. Even if he already was curious of who the new kid might be, what the Hokage told him just added more fuel to the fire.

'You don't have to worry, my friend.' Guy said. 'Since _we_ are your team.'

'Uh...' Was all that Kaiya could say. She was still unsure of the whole situation.

'You're not an easy one, are ye?' Guy said, as he started searching through one of his small bags. 'Here.'

He picked an hard piece of paper with an official look and shoved it in under Kaiya's nose. She looked at the paper and looked at the title.

'Team.. Guy?' Kaiya read aloud.

'Mhm, that's us.' The girl with buns confirmed.

Under the title, there were five names, one of each member of the team, along with somewhat information and a photo. Much to Kaiya's surprise, her name appeared there, too. Her name, and that would be it. No photo of her nor any information.

'Did this confirm it to you?' Guy asked, as he took and folded the piece of paper back in one of his pockets.

'I guess.' Kaiya mumbled, almost uncomprehendingly.

'Alright boys.' The sensei called.

'And girls.' The girl added.

'Right. Sorry, girls.' He apologised. 'Anyway, the Hokage demanded to see us, in order to give us another mission. Are you ready, guys?'

'Yes, sir!' The boy named Lee responded enthusiastically, followed by some mumbles coming from the other two.

'Are you guys ready for an mission full of _youth _and-'

'Sensei...' The girl sighed, exasperated.

Guy almost stopped, but encouraged and joined by Lee, he continued to cheer for his upcoming mission of youth.

'Haven't you learned just yet, Tenten?' The boy named Neji asked. 'He'll never abandon his _youthful life.'_

'Guess you're right.' Tenten sighed in defeat, before turning to Kaiya. 'Please don't misunderstand Guy-sensei. He isn't stupid, I can promise you, but he has an thing for...'

Tenten couldn't find the right terms for it. How could she explain her sensei's odd behaviour without having any misunderstandings?

'It's fine, I get it.' Kaiya calmed her down. 'It isn't the first time I see someone like him, and I have to say that he's actually decent. At least his son seems to be into it, since, if I am right to assume, nobody else is.'

The three turned for a second to look at Guy and Lee cheering for an eternal life of youth.

'Son? What son?' Neji asked in confusion, narrowing his eyes.

'That boy, I forgot his name...' Kaiya made a sign with her head to where Lee was.

'You mean Lee?' Tenten asked, Kaiya nodding in response. 'Oh, they aren't related.'

'They're not?' Kaiya wondered. 'But they look so...'

'Similar? Yeah, I know, but they aren't related. Not at all.' Neji answered, nodding in understanding.

'Are you sure?' Kaiya double-checked. 'Like, isn't Guy, at least, that annoying uncle or something like that?'

'Not at all. That's just as far as I know, though.' Tenten jokingly said, having Neji escape one of his rare amused puffs.

Guy and his students entered one of the rooms from the Main Building, where the Hokage along with an brown-haired man that had an scar over his nose and upper-cheeks sat at an table full of papers. As she entered, Kaiya was hit by an almost painfully familiar smell. She looked around and noticed that indeed, her team wasn't the only one there. She noticed about three other groups of three kids around her age, each accompanied by an adult who, for sure, was their team leader. She tried to figure out who could hold such an familiar smell, but she couldn't make any familiar faces out. Noticing her presence, all the students began to whisper things, asking their their senseis questions. She scanned them all and, for a second, her eyes locked on something seemingly familiar.

The slim figure of an white-haired man who wore a mask covering most of his face stranded next to an seemingly normal group formed of a blonde boy with three black stripes on both checks and a huge grin, an dark haired boy with blue clothing and an irritated, retained expression and a pink-haired girl in an red dress who stared a her in awe. For a second, she thought that the familiar smell came from them, but it was proved wrong as an rather sharp smell came from their direction. As she studied the group, Kaiya was struck by an thundering headache. She grunted, gaining even more unwanted attention than she ever wanted.

'Are you okay?' Tenten whispered.

'Yeah.' Kaiya answered in the same tone, preferring not to look into Tenten's eyes.

Kaiya looked back at the pink-haired girl, then the man one more moment. She saw her and the man before, didn't she?

'What is it, Sakura-chan~?' The blonde boy asked, noticing the girl's shocked look.

Sakura! Now she remembered! It was the same girl that irritated Kaiya the day before at that ramen restaurant, along with that man who payed her meal since she didn't have enough money. In return, Kaiya narrowed her eyebrows in rejection, before jerking her head away. As she turned her head, she could swear that she saw, with the corner of her eye, that the masked man shot her an look.

'Good morning, Guy. 'The Hokage's voice made everyone snap back to reality. 'I see that you found your student without incident.'

A few teachers began to giggle, but stopped as the Hokage's gaze fell upon them.

'Of course not!' Guy barked, almost making Kaiya jump. 'On the way here, we had an most _youthful talk-'_

Kaiya bit her tongue in an attempt to prevent anything she might say to her teacher, as Hokage raised his hand, silencing Guy and everyone that began, yet again, to giggle.

'Well, I'm glad to hear that, but I'm afraid that you'll have to tell me about it some other time.' The Hokage explained kindly. 'For now, I have to assign you to an mission.'

'Great! I can't wait-' Lee began in his excited tone, but seeing the gazes of his teammates, he preferred to keep his thoughts quiet for now.

'So, seeing your student's aptitudes, I'll trust you with an C-ranked mission.'

'C-rank?!' Tenten exclaimed, as murmurs of shock were heard from the other teams. 'But we're only mere genins! Even that, only for an bare four months.'

Kaiya looked at the perplexed faces on her teammates. Even though she never really made any plans on it before, she learned about mission and ninja rankings from the shinobi world. She knew that D-ranked missions were the easiest missions, meant for people like her, genins, and A-ranked and S-ranked missions were for the best jounins, or even the ANBU, at times. Seeing that the mission they were given was a C-rank, she didn't worry herself as much as she normally would on such themes.

'Indeed, but I think that since you gained a bit of experience, you may want to gain some more, in order to prepare yourself for the Chuunin exams, if you wish to attend.' The Hokage said, his gaze resting for a second on Kaiya's.

'A-Are you sure, Lord Hokage?' Guy asked, shocked.

'Never been more sure.' An smiled grew on the Hokage's face.

'What's the mission about?' Guy sighed. He wasn't very worried about Neji, TenTen and Lee, as he was sure that they could handle it, but, taking what the Hokage told him the day before, he hoped that his first mission as an five-man cell wouldn't be that hard, giving him more opportunities to see and analyse Kaiya's behaviour.

'Well, you have an scroll here with more details on it,' the Hokage spoke, as he handed Guy an scroll on which sat a few sentences and numbers, most likely symbolising what kind of mission that it was. 'but long story short, I'll need you do an delivery to the Village Hidden in the Sand.'

'Lord Hokage, isn't that-' An male voice could be heard from behind Kaiya.

Kaiya turned around and realised that the owner of the voice was an man in his mid- thirties with dark-brown hair a tanned skin, and a cigarette in his mouth.

'Yes, Asuma, it is _that _mission.' The Hokage confirmed, looking into the man's eyes.

'But-' the man began, but stopped himself.

'You don't need to worry.' The Hokage assured the man. 'I'm sure that they handle it well. Am I right, Guy?'

'Of course! You won't even realise we were gone!' Guy approved, proud of the praise that the Hokage brought him. He wasn't very sure of why Asuma was so shocked, but if the Hokage chose to give it to his team, it was nothing that they couldn't handle. He took the scroll with the information in his hands. 'Thank you, lord Hokage. Let's go, guys(no pun intended)!'

Neji, Tenten and Lee agreed in an more energic way, while Kaiya preferred to only nod, along with an 'hn'. After the group exited the room, the tensity that grew in the air seemed to die down, but only by little. Asuma looked at the Hokage with his eyes wide open filled with shock, while one of his students, and blond-haired girl with purple clothing, looked at him worryingly.

'What's wrong, Asuma-sensei?' The girl asked. 'You don't have to worry, ya know? I'm sure we'll get an C-rank mission sometime, too!'

'It's not that, Ino.' The man shook his head. 'It's just that what Guy got isn't an C-rank, but rather an B- maybe even A-rank.'

**A/N**

**Heeey, everyone! How's it going?**

_**So**__, _**another chapter's out. I'm really excited for this one because it's the beginning of ****_The possessions of the wild_****'s first arc! How crazy's **_**that**_**? **

**Now, I don't know if any of y'all read my other book, ****_Roses have Thorns_****, so I'll say it here, too. As many of you know, school started recently, diminishing my free time considerably. You don't have to worry much, as I'll try to pull out an chapter per week, but sometimes it may take a little longer.**

**Anyway, so I thought of this! For every chapter, I'll give you guys an Naruto-related question.**

**Question of the Chapter:**

_**If you were to put Kaiya on another team, in which one would you?**_

**See you in the next chapter!**

**~Avery**


	4. 4 Catching up

**4| Catching up**

* * *

Kaiya pursed her lips as she watched how the old woman think.

People have brought the kidnapped Kazekage, Gaara as others knew him, on a meadow, where he would be later confirmed dead. For a fact, death had no reverse- or so she thought.

'I had sinned many times in my life- it should be about time that I do something good.' Chiyo mumbled, as she looked at the red-haired boy. 'This world has changed a lot, anyway.'

She put her hands over the boy's chest and, in just moments, medical-nin chakra appeared from under her hands and went into Gaara's body. As she did that, Kaiya couldn't help but hear a conversation from behind her.

'He... he isn't a jinchuriki anymore, is he?' Someone asked.

'I don't think so.' Somebody else answered. 'The Akatsuki only wanted the Tailed Beast.'

'Shukaku?' The first one asked.

'Mhm. Wonder what kind of wicked plan they have.'

At this moment, Chiyo sighed as the chakra flow interrupted. She looked up to Naruto. 'Naruto, was it? Please help me with some chakra.'

Naruto obliged immediately, with a gulp. He put his hands over Chiyo's hands and, soon the chakra flow began running at a rather quick, large flow.

'I don't understand- what kind of jutsu is this?' Kaiya murmured.

'It's a reanimation jutsu. A forbidden one that'll bring him back to life.' Tenten explained, standing next to her.

'I get that, but... at what cost?'

'Her own life.'

The way that the girl stated it in such a matter-of-factly took Kaiya aback for a moment, making her look at the girl, who honestly didn't seem very unsettled.

'What?' Tenten asked, noticing her teammate's look. 'I once read about this jutsu.'

'_Hm._' Kaiya hummed, returning her attention back to the old lady.

After a couple of minutes, Chiyo took her hands away and laid back, relying on someone behind her. Naruto took his hands away and watched focused on how Gaara opened his eyes, a little weakened. In realisation, everyone cheered happily- their kazekage lived.

While many people cheered and came to greet Gaara, a few still remained away- while their Kazekage returned to life, the old lady Chiyo was dead.

'She's... She's dead, isn't she?' Gaara asked, looking at Chiyo.

'Yes.' Kaiya said, a little absent. 'But... it is for the greater good, I suppose.'

'Hey Kaiya.' Neji said, catching the girl's attention. 'Can you see her spirit?'

As a few people raised questions, Kaiya shook her head lightly. 'No. She may need some time in the other world to rest before she can come back.'

'I don't think I understand.' Gaara's older sister, Temari, asked. 'Could you elaborate, please?'

'Chiyo-sama is old.' Kaiya stated. 'She had a long life and she must be tired. Many people need to rest for a while before they can return in their spirit form.'

'That seems logical, but I still-' Temari said, confused.

'She can see the dead.' Neji cut her off. 'It's something in her Kekkei Genkai.'

Temari blinked in surprise. 'Is that so? And you can see _anyone _who's dead?'

'As far as I know, yes.' Kaiya shrugged.

Temari looked at the girl in surprise as she muttered something in amazement, before shrugging it off and going to her brother.

For now, they were all glad that they got their leader back.

As she walked through the Sand that evening, Kaiya took her time to admire the surroundings- it was a whole different architecture, and she couldn't say that she had a particular like for the high temperature or the sand covering the nation.

On the other hand, she liked having a walk to clear her thoughts, and when would she get the chance to walk again freely around a neighbouring country without being seen as the enemy? To put it simply, probably never again.

As she walked, a familiar face walked down the street the opposite way. At her sight, the other person's eyes jolted open in surprise, before hurrying her way.

'Good evening, Temari-san.' Kaiya greeted, startled by the young woman's approach.

'Good evening.' Temari responded. 'I didn't get the chance to thank you for helping with saving my brother, so I wanted to do it now.'

Kaiya smiled, as she relaxed her muscles. 'No problem- I'm glad I could help.'

Temari let out a light sigh of relief- she was glad that there were no complications that involved extra compliments.

'So, I see you enjoy walks as well?' She asked, as she placed herself next to Kaiya, allowing them to start walking.

'Yeah, it helps me relax and clear my thoughts.' Kaiya responded with a nod. 'What about you?'

'Same goes for me. Ever since Gaara's become Kazekage, Kankuro and I had been doing our best to help him but it's so _stressing_! Who knew being an advisor is so hard?'

'It's normal to have it like that. He's your brother, so of course, you're worried. I have a younger brother- no, _two _younger brothers myself, so I know the struggle.'

'Really?' Temari asked, interested. 'What are they like?'

'Well, my younger brother Jun, he's the middle child. He was always a funny guy to be around, and he was really kind. I can't really remind fighting with him much.'

'I'm sorry, but can I ask a question?' Temari interrupted, a little worried.

'Sure.' Kaiya said, expectantly. 'Shoot the question.'

Temari gulped, nervously. 'Why are you referring to your brother with the past tense? Did... Did something happen to him?'

Kaiya bit her lip for a moment. 'Yeah. He got killed when he was seven while hunting.'

Temari's eyes widened, her lips moving for a few moments without making a single sound.

'I'm sorry for your loss. It must be horrible.' She eventually said.

'Thanks. It was hard, but I learned to cope with it, so it's better now.'

Temari let out a small smile out. 'I'm glad to hear. How's your other brother doing?'

'Oh, he's fine.' Kaiya assured, relaxing Temari. 'His name is Kouta, he's the youngest, and he's really energic. He always has good intentions, but he really likes pissing me off when he's bored.'

Temari snorted. 'My brother Kankuro does that too.'

'I think it's a universal thing amongst younger siblings- their main goal is to annoy the older ones.' Kaiya joked, managing to make Temari escape a laugh.

For a few moments, there was silence.

'Say, Kaiya, is it true that you're Kakashi's kid?' Temari asked, taking all her courage to do so. 'I heard some rumours about it.

'Mhm. I'm his daughter- that one's a fact.' Kaiya confirmed.

'Granny Chiyo said something on it as well, but I don't really trust rumours, y'know?' Temari told her. 'But how comes nobody knew anything about you?'

'He had me at 14, my mother and her clan live out of the land of Fire, and Kakashi told nobody about me. Nobody knew about me until my mother came along.'

'Really?' Temari asked, and Kaiya nodded. 'Interesting.'

Around this time, they reached the main building, which also provided a couple of bedrooms, two or three which welcomed Konoha's Team 7 and Team Guy. The two girls entered the building, where they were welcomed by cool air.

'Thanks again for helping with my brother.' Temari said, 'It was nice chatting with you.'

'See ya!' Kaiya responded before both of them left separate ways.

In a few minutes of walking through hallways, Kaiya finally reached the final floor, where her and her team's assigned bedroom was lying. Having no key with her, she knocked at the door, which opened very quickly by Tenten.

'Where were you?' Tenten said, rubbing her eyes. 'It's already 11 pm, we were worried...'

Kaiya laughed dryly. 'Sorry 'bout that.'

She was welcomed in the apartment and, after bidding everyone good night, she laid in one of the bunker beds and attempted to sleep. Unluckily for her, although tired, sleepiness didn't decide to pass by her just yet.

After about 30 minutes of waiting for sleep to arrive, she gave up for the moment and opted for something else she tiptoed out of her bed, opened the window, and crawled on the roof.

She rested her back against the roof, took a deep breath and looked around. The Sand village had a very beautiful view at night and, with the quiet, natural ambience running through it, it was very calming.

After what seemed to be 10 minutes, some light footsteps from inside the bedroom caught Kaiya's attention. Seconds later, a hand could be seen at the end of the roof, then 2 hands, and just moments later, someone was lying next to Kaiya.

'It's quite a view, huh?' Lee asked, looking at the village.

'It is.' Kaiya said with a sigh. 'You can't sleep either?'

'Mh-hm.' Lee shook his head. 'I really wanted to talk to you.'

'Really?' Kaiya narrowed her eyebrows. 'About what?'

'Everything. Everything that has happened to each other in the last 3 years while you were gone. We can catch up about what we both missed.'

Kaiya looked at the boy and couldn't help but smile. Something about the boy felt quite reassuring and trustable. _It was a nice feeling, _she thought.

'Well, then,' she said, 'where do I start?'

'Why don't you start with the way home?' Lee suggested. 'After you left Konoha.'

Kaiya smiled. 'Alright. Well, it was a bit of a walk, but nothing I can't do. My mother was really happy to have me with her.'

'And the rest of your family?' Lee asked.

'Hm? Oh yeah. Well, they were surprised and showed signs of happiness, but nothing too elaborate. I mean, my aunt Ichika- the Alpha or the leader of the family gave me a welcome but that would be it. You should've seen my brother and father, though. They were _ecstatic. _My brother wouldn't let go of me and my dad took a week or two off from hunting just to stay home to spend time with me and catch up with me.'

'They must really love you, then.' Lee said. 'But how could they not? You're family.'

Kaiya looked at the boy and remembered how he had no living relatives, as far as he knew.

'Well, true, but not always.' Kaiya told him, softly. 'My cousin Taka, Ichika's son, he acted like I was never gone, y'know? I mean, we spend a lot of time training as kids and even now we'd do so much out of obligation, but y'know. A simple '_How you've been?_' would've been nice, I guess.'

Lee thought. 'Yeah, it would've been nice. What do you mean that you two trained out of obligation?'

'My aunt wants her son to be the next Alpha, and a damn strong one. My mum wants me to stand a chance against Taka for the post as Alpha, and my aunt and my mom both thought it's a good idea for us to fight against each other and everything.' Kaiya explained. 'Honestly, I don't really care much for that post as Alpha. Heck, I can't take care of myself properly, how am I supposed to take care of an entire clan?'

'I see.' Lee pursed his lips. 'It's a reasonable point to not become a leader.'

'But enough of me. What happened to you in the past years?' Kaiya asked, changing the subject.

'Training, missions... A few unsuccessful exams.' Lee said. 'It was kinda boring after you left.'

Kaiya's heart missed a beat or two making her cheeks warm-up, for reasons she couldn't really understand. 'Boring? Please elaborate.'

'I don't know.' Lee shrugged. 'I guess the whole mystery around who you really were brought a lot of interesting attempts to find out more. But your persona also helped much, I guess. You know how to keep things interesting.'

'_Hm._' Kaiya hummed, thoughtfully- she sure didn't hear that one before.

'Why are you red?' Lee asked, looking at the girl.

Oh, um, the heat.' Kaiya lied quickly, in realisation. 'I'm not really used to such high temperatures.'

Lee blinked a few times, in thought. He could tell that the girl was lying, but he didn't want to push it- he knew for a fact that the girl didn't like when people do so.

'Then we should go inside.' Lee suggested.

Kaiya nodded. 'Fine.'

Neither of them had anything better to say, and this was the best way to finish the conversation. They got up and entered the room, careful not to wake anyone up.

Kaiya took her place in her bed and, after a few moments of finding a comfortable position, she fell asleep near instantly. As for Lee on the other hand, although tired, he wanted to process everything that the girl said. Unlike the old Kaiya he knew, he saw her vibe more relaxed and open.

Honestly, it was just then that it occurred to Lee about how he thought of Kaiya- whenever he talked to her, he couldn't help but smile at her and pay all the attention he had to what she said, and get this warm, fuzzy feeling when he thought of her.

_Weird, _he thought. Maybe he could as Guy-sensei about this- he would surely know how to help him.

* * *

**A/N**

**Hello, everyone! How's it going?**

**Ok, wow, a 2.2K worth chapter in what? 2 and a half days? I'll be honest with y'all- I didn't plan this chapter to be out so early, but here we are. I have plenty of free time in my hands and I have nothing better to do, so I wrote, and wrote, and wrote. Am I happy with this chapter? Yes. Yes I am.**

**This chapter may seem like filler, but I really wanted to write this chapter and tbh I really had fun writing it. I managed to bring to light some secondary characters and I managed to help you readers know somewhat more about what happened to Kaiya, because I think that her backstory and all that is still a little vague to y'all. What do y'all think?**

**-Avery**


	5. 5 The test

The next morning, the two teams left without wasting any unnecessary time, leaving just an hour after sunrise. They passed by Chiyo's grave one last time, before eventually bidding goodbye and leaving.

As they left, Temari couldn't help but sit and watch at the large group as they were leaving. Although having quite different personalities and vibes, neither Naruto or Kaiya didn't fail to amaze her.

One of them was a fighter, and the other managed to find a way to make Temari feel like she could relate to someone, especially about her siblings. She truly hoped that she would come across them again, and as allies.

Their return to Konoha was very quiet and uneventful, joined by some sunny, warm-ish days of spring. As they entered Konoha's gates, a feeling of deja vu fell over Kaiya.

She looked at her team, and couldn't help but smile- many good memories of them together came back to her. How could not she feel happy?

As usual, Koutetsu asked Guy how his mission went, to which Guy promised to tell the full story later on after he reported in the mission. Koutetsu nodded, understandingly- from what it seemed, it will surely be a good story to hear.

The group made their way to the Main Building, where they found the Fifth Hokage in her office, under a medium-sized pile of papers.

'Team Guy, Team Kakashi.' She greeted, with a nod. 'How was your mission?'

'Successful, but we ran into two members of the Akatsuki, ma'am.' Guy informed, with a bow. 'A blonde member that could mould clay within seconds, and could use it as protection, bombardment or transport mode. We also ran into a half-human half-shark person that used one of Mist's seven swords, Samehada.'

Tsunade's face wrinkled, in thought. 'It was to be expected. No major injuries, I hope?'

'No, ma'am. Everyone is fine.' Kakashi confirmed. 'I overused my Sharingan, but no dangerous consequences.'

Hearing this, Tsunade's face relaxed, along with the rest of her body, lessening the tensity in the air.

'If there isn't anything else for you to report, you're free to go.' Tsunade said, before remembering something as the group turned around. 'Wait, except for Kaiya. I need to talk to you.'

Kaiya stopped in her tracks and looked at the Hokage surprised. Her team looked at her with worry, before leaving at Tsunade's sign.

'What is it, Lady Hokage?' Kaiya asked, now facing Tsunade back fully.

'It's about the test I told you about when you returned.' Tsunade explained. 'The one to see if you can handle a higher rank. Remember?'

Kaiya sighed in relief. 'Yes, of course. Is the date decided?'

'Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. It's in... _2 days _from now, at 3 pm. Is that working for you?'

Kaiya nodded.

'Great. It's going to take place on Training Grounds 3. You know Anko Mitarashi, right? One of the proctors for the Chūunin exams? I think you took part in the exams.'

'Yes, I took part and I know her. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to pass the exams. I only took part one time, and it was when Orochimaru attacked.'

Tsunade's eyes flickered at Orochimaru's mention but said nothing.

'Well then, Anko-san will examine you and see what we do from there. Alright?'

'Yes, ma'am. All clear.'

Tsunade nodded. 'Good. Then, you're free to go as well. Good luck with that test!

'Thank you, Lady Hokage.' Kaiya said with a bow, before leaving.

'I wonder what her results will be.' Shizune told Tsunade with excitement.

Tsunade sighed. 'I wonder, too, but let's not get too excited. Even if she comes from a rather skilled family, she's still just a kid.'

Kaiya felt her heart throbbing in her chest. 'I'm ready.'

It was the day of the test, and it would've been a lie from her to say that she didn't stress over it, no matter how she tried to comfort herself.

On the other side, Anko couldn't help but feel curious and ecstatic. She's been working as an instructor for the Chūunin exams for a good five years already and she liked the job, but this gave her an extra boost of curiosity. After all, this was a Hatake child. Even though nobody said it, there were high expectations from her.

And Kaiya knew it. Maybe that was her main reason for stress- of failing people she didn't know. Failing a family she didn't know she was part of until a few years ago. _Disappointing her father. _

She shook her head. _Not now. _Now, she had to do her best with this test. Doing one last check, she made sure that her tachi was on her back, and she had some useful kunais in her small bag.

Leaving any hesitation aside, Anko attacked. She took a kunai and ran up to Kaiya, who prepared to dodge the attack. Just as Kaiya was about to dodge, smoke surrounded Anko, who disappeared, being replaced by a log.

Without missing a beat, a kunai landed next to Kaiya. Reading the move, she jumped up in the air, to escape the trap that was laid for her. Just as she foresaw, transparent threads tangled and fell on the ground where she stood moments before.

Unlucky for her, some thread was launched in the air, circling around her feet. Taking plan B into account, she bent over immediately and cut the threads away.

Kaiya landed on the margin of the training ground and, without any hesitation, she hurried into the small forest. She went into the bushes, and, after she checked behind her, took a handful of two of mud that was spread on her cheeks and forehead, to mask her. She bent down and, after a few minutes of silence, it was safe to say that she was out of Anko's radar for now.

She closed her eyes, put a hand on the ground and took a deep breath in. Her mother taught her how to do this. Although weak, she managed to learn how to localize someone's chakra from a distance by using a little of her own. Quite risky if the opponent was strong, in her opinion, but still worth learning.

Her chakra concentrated on the hand that lay on the ground and, after a short time, there were results. Although faint, she could feel someone's chakra somewhere nearby. _It must be Anko._

She jumped on the tree above her on one of its branches in the middle and, after some focusing, she spotted her through the leaves. As she did that, Anko's smell spread around as if to confirm that yes, it was Anko and not some similar appearance.

After some quick thoughts, Kaiya went into action. She took some kunais from her weapon bag, knotted them each with a transparent thread, making them all connected. She calculated a little about the way she would throw the kunais, before putting her plan into action.

She threw all the kunais around a now very alarmed Anko and hurried to flee a few trees away. She knelt down and watched the show unfold more calmly. Her attack wasn't designed to necessarily hurt its prey, but to trap it, so it was safe to say that the woman would remain generally unharmed. Besides, assuming that the instructor never managed to get a strong sense of smell, she should be sitting somewhat safer with her mud mask.

As she waited for a reaction from the woman, Kaiya felt a presence behind her. It was a presence like many others she came across, but most people don't experience.

It was safe to say it was a dead person.

'Hello.' She murmured, her eyes still fixated on the proctor.

'That's an interesting attack you got there.' The spirit said, getting closer to Kaiya. 'What does it do?'

'Watch and see.'

For a moment, Kaiya let herself get distracted and looked next to her, where the presence was. Much to her shock, the spirit looked extremely familiar.

'Guy-sensei?' She asked, her eyebrows narrowing.

'Hm? I think you've mistaken me for someone else.' The spirit said. 'I'm not your sensei.'

Kaiya shook her head. 'Nevermind- I thought you were my sensei, but he isn't dead.'

The man nodded, understandingly.

Anko looked around her, confused by the attack. It was a simple-looking, classic attack. The girl would be smarter than this, wouldn't she? She puffed lightly, in consideration.

The young woman walked carefully to one of the kunais and analysed the string. It was a simple string. She sighed deeply, before taking her own kunai out and cut the string.

It was then that Anko realised her mistake. In the split of a second, what seemed like kilometres and kilometres of strings circled around her body, catching her in a strong grip, immobilising her from moving her legs or arms a single milimeter.

Anko cursed under her breath. She made an attempt of rolling to one side -perhaps, she'd weaken the strings or she would find any other way to free herself-, only to find herself falling back on her back mid-roll. She squinted her eyes at a kunai above her and bit her tongue- that's what the kunais were for.

'That's a smart plan.' The man next to Kaiya noted. 'You immobilized her with string and you made sure she wouldn't run away by putting those kunais there to hold her down.'

'Mhm. It's a simple and effective trap.' Kaiya told him.

After fifteen minutes of failed attempts of escape, Anko couldn't take it no more.

'Alright, kid!' She yelled. 'It's over, I'm stuck.'

Kaiya bit her lip. _No, it wasn't over. _Anko groaned- it sounded wrong. If the kid had some stability, she would be stuck for a long time in those strings.

'Listen, kiddo,' Anko said. 'This exam is over. You win. May I please be freed now?'

Kaiya hesitated- what if it was a trap? No. She'll wait for a little longer, just in case.

After some other few minutes, Kaiya became fairly sure that the woman was, in fact, stuck and this was no trap. She used some hand signs before activating a justu that would free the woman from a distance.

'Air style: Air spear!' She murmured, before using her hands as a way to guide the justu.

The justu sure had its effect, as the air she puffed cut through, making their way to the target. It cut through the threads attached to the kunais that held the woman down and most of the threads around the woman, freeing her successfully.

Anko got up alarmed, still holding onto her kunai. Kaiya sighed and jumped out of her hiding spot, ready to approach the woman.

'That sure was a-' Anko laughed, before something caught her attention. 'What's that on your face? Mud?'

'Yes, ma'am. It's for camouflage.'

Anko blinked once. Twice. Thrice. This kid was full of surprises.

'That's a good idea. Never seen it in a Chūunin before.' Anko noted. 'Congratulations.'

Kaiya's eyes lit up. 'Does that mean I passed?'

Anko couldn't help but smile.

'I would say yes.' She said. 'You have a fairly good capability to survive as a Chūunin. However, I still need to talk to Lord Hokage, so you'd have to wait for his confirmation.'

Kaiya's mouth curved into a smile, not believing her ears. She fell to her knees. 'Thank you, ma'am.'

'No need to thank me, kid. You did it yourself.'

'Anko. It's good to see you.' Tsunade greeted, straightening her back. 'How was the test?'

Anko bit her lip in thought. 'It went fine, but it took some unexpected turns. I'd like another jonin to test her for a higher rank.'

Tsunade's face wrinkled up. '_Higher _rank? Are you saying she's capable of becoming a jonin?'

'Almost. If she gets some proper training, she'll become a jonin in no time.' Anko said. 'She has the capability to become one.'

'I understand.' Tsunade nodded, thinkingly.

'Who is her sensei?' Anko asked.

'Guy. Might Guy.'

'I know him. He's a good teacher for her capabilities, but he still has two other genins in charge, right? Besides, I'd recommend her work on her weak points, which are ninjutsu and genjutsu. I noticed her main choice of attack is taijutsu or weaponry, which she excels in. Better working of ninjutsu won't hurt.

Tsunade nodded. 'I understand. I think I know someone just right for her.'

'Who?'

'Tokawa Asura.'

**A/N**

**Good day, everyone! How's it going?**

**Here's chapter 5 of **_**The Wolf Whitin. **_**What do y'all think of it?**

**I'll admit, I made a lot of breaks on this chapter, until I actually sat myself down today and wrote 600+ worth of words.**

**Moving on, yes. I made an OC that will test Kaiya. To be honest, I considered putting Kakashi to test and train her, but it felt like it was pushing it since he already is her father and all and the story doesn't necessarily revolve around that, so I made up an OC.**

**If you're wondering why I haven't been posting in a while, well, it's because I decided to write the upcoming chapters as well and I got caught in it. Besides, it's now summer so my program is pretty chaotic. Thank you for understanding!**

**See y'all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	6. 6 An upgrade

'You... You _what?' _Tenten spat out, incredulously.

'You heard me.' Kaiya said, with a shrug.

The day after Kaiya's test with Anko, Guy took his team to the training grounds and, as they took a break from, well, training, Kaiya brought them the news about her testing.

'That's awesome, congratulations! But... can you do that, Guy-sensei?' Tenten asked. 'Change teams?'

'I don't know.' Guy admitted. 'It sometimes happens that teams are changed and so, but I don't know the details.'

'Besides,' Lee said. 'It's not like she's fully leaving this team anyway, right?'

Kaiya shook her head as she rested her back on a tree behind her. 'No, not from what I know.'

'Kaiya Kobayashi, right?' A voice behind Kaiya asked, making everyone jump a little.

Kaiya turned around to see a woman in her early 30's, with dark hair and official Konoha shinobi clothing and headband.

'Yes, that's me.' Kaiya said, cautiously. 'Can I help you?'

'My name's Tonkawa Asura. Please follow me.' The woman demanded.

After a few moments of hesitating, Kaiya got up and obeyed.

'See y'all.' She told her team, before leaving.

The walk was, at first, very quiet. Asura didn't take the girl out of the training grounds, which confused Kaiya a little, but gave her reasons to theorise about who the woman was and what she wanted.

'Here.' Asura said, taking out her red hair out of her face.

They arrived on one of the Training grounds at quite a distance from where Guy and his team were. Seeing the questioning look on Kaiya's face, Asura sighed.

'Something's not adding up in your head, so let me elaborate.' She said, leaning on a tree. 'I'm Asura. You may call me Asura-san or Asura-sensei, I'll leave it up to you to choose. I'm a higher-ranked jonin and I'll be training you. Any questions?'

Kaiya stared at the woman blankly, taken a little aback by her bluntness. 'Yes, ma'am. Why are you training me?'

'Your proctor considers that you have some talent that might go to waste if not developed correctly. They want me to train you for that. Any other questions?'

'No, ma'am.'

'Good. You're the Hatake kid, right?'

'Mhm, that's me.' Kaiya said, with a light sigh. She was getting a little tired of the question.

Asura sighed.

'Weird, but whatever.' She shrugged. 'It's not my cup of tea. Now, let's get down to business- show me every jutsu you can do.'

'Eh... Excuse me? I don't think I-'

'You got that right.' Asura assured. 'Show me every jutsu you can do.'

Kaiya pursed her lips. There were but a few justus that she could say that she mastered. She'll make a fool out of herself for sure, but that's why she was here. She was here to learn.

'Air style: Air spear!'

The jutsu activated, and it played a light cut or two on a nearby tree.

'Hm, don't think I've seen this jutsu before.' Asura said, raising her eyebrows. 'Do it again, on the same tree.'

Kaiya raised her eyebrows in surprise but obeyed quietly. She repeated the justu with her best accuracy, and managed to lay another series of cuts on the same tree.

'Good.' Asura said. 'Again. Same tree.'

Kaiya obeyed, and another cut was laid on the tree.

'Good. Now repeat this move until that tree falls down.'

Kaiya bit her lip in a moment of hesitation, but didn't say anything- the woman must have a plan in mind. It was now only a matter of time until she figured it out.

And she repeated the move. Again, and again, and again, and again until the tree eventually thinned enough to fall down.

Kaiya, who now breathed heavily from exhaustion, sat on the ground for a moment, under the shadows. Who knew ninjutsu was so energy-draining?

'No time for rest, Kaiya. Next exercise.' Asura said, nudging the girl to get up.

'Asura-san, I'm low on chakra.' Kaiya said.

Asura forced a smile. 'That was the point of the last exercise. Now, we'll do something else. Do 50 push-ups. If you can't do that, you'll have to do 2 tours of the village. If you can't do that either, you'll do 20 stand-ups on your hands. Got it?'

Kaiya nodded. 'Yes, ma'am.'

It honestly sounded like something Guy would've said, but Kaiya shrugged it off quickly. Something about the woman reminded Kaiya about her mother, and she knew for a fact that disobeying her would mean instant death.

About 50 push-ups later and 1 tour of Konoha, Asura realised that the girl's stamina might be better than she estimated. She pursed her lips as she looked up- the sun was setting, letting the sky turn an orange-pink shade.

'Take a break, Kaiya. You deserve it.' She told the girl.

Kaiya obeyed immediately. She sat herself down and rubbed off the sweat off her face.

To be fair, today was more of a testing, to see the girl's capabilities. Asuka couldn't lie to herself- she was pleased with the girl. She started to see the potential that Anko was talking about.

'Are you thirsty?' She asked, taking a bottle of water from her bag. 'Here.'

'Thank you.' Kaiya said, taking the bottle in her hands before chugging down half the bottle of water.

Asuka bit her lip. She heard some rumours and various nasty stuff about this girl and her heritage, but she wanted to hear it from the girl. She cleared her throat, catching Kaiya's attention.

'So, Kaiya.' Asuka said. 'Tell me more about yourself.'

Kaiya sighed. 'What would you like to know?'

'Hm.. Tell me, what are your dreams and goals? Any likes or dislikes you have?'

Kaiya looked down, thinking.

'Dreams or goals... I don't know Nothing too grand. I'd like to live a quiet life here in Konoha, and I'd like to have some sort of closure with my clan's problems, y'know? To come on better terms with them. Maybe keeping in better touch with my brother would be nice as well. As for likes and dislikes... I don't know. I like many things, and I can't say I have a particular diskike for anything. Hm, except for people who talk about something without knowing the full story. _That's_ something I don't like.'

Asura nodded with a smile. 'That's quite interesting to hear.'

'What about you?' Kaiya asked. 'Any goals, likes and dislikes?'

Asura chuckled lightly.

'Well, let's see. My goal was always to become a jonin or an ANBU, I guess I achieved it. My likes or dislikes... I guess we're like-minded here. I like most things and don't have a particular dislike. It can't be helped, I guess.'

After that, silence fell between the two- there was nothing left to say. Kaiya took another mouthful of water, before getting up.

'What's the next exercise, Asura-san?'

Asura raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'You're still up for more exercise?'

Kaiya shrugged.

'I still have some energy left, so why not use it as well?' She said, 'I'm used to training for longer periods.'

The jonin sighed. 'Alright, then. I'd still like to work on the basics with you. How about some accuracy throwing? Do you have some shuriken with you?'

'Yes, ma'am.' Kaiya nodded.

'Well, then. Let's see what you can do. Throw your kunais at... that tree. Let me do the marks.'

'Accuracy, 75 percent.' Asura announced quietly.

Night has settled herself quite some time since, and it was clear that Kaiya was reaching her limits. Yet, she managed to score quite well.

'I see you have good stamina and somewhat talent with weapons.' Asura noted. 'But... your ninjutsu seems to be near terrible in comparison with your peers. Do you... how do I say this?'

'If my body can't mould chakra?' Kaiya suggested. The woman nodded. 'I can mould chakra, ma'am. It just so happens that my family isn't good with it, and I had no one to teach me much about chakra.'

'Hm, I think I heard something about it.' Asura said, in thought.

'Everybody seems to hear stuff.' Kaiya mumbled.

She didn't mind much that the word got out- in many aspects, it was relieving. The thing that bugged her, however, was the way that the word got out. Only scraps of the facts were given around, and people seemed to enjoy mixing facts with fantasy.

Asura looked at the girl, and couldn't help but sigh. Before coming to train her, she looked through some files in an attempt to find out more about the girl, but again, new information hardly appeared.

'Maybe you can tell me more sometimes, but for now, training is finished. I expect to see you here again, tomorrow at five.'

'Fi...Five in the morning?' Kaiya asked.

'Did you expect something else?'

'No, ma'am.'

'Then, you're dismissed.'

Kaiya rubbed her eyes a little as she did the lights on in her apartment. She was tired from the training, and entering a room that isn't dark when tired isn't the best choice.

As she looked around, she noticed a small envelope waiting on her kitchen island table. She had no memory of ever writing anything down that day, so it was quite odd.

She opened the envelope, which held an official-looking paper, that had Hokage's signature under it. Weird.

_Dear Kaiya Kobayashi,_

_Congratulations on becoming a Chūunin! You are now able to go on individualistic missions and get more options of helping The Village Hidden in the Leaves._

_You are expected to come and pick up your uniform on _**_27 August._**

_Greetings,_  
_Tsunade Senju, the 5th Hokage_

Kaiya looked at the paper blankly. _So I'm a Chūunin, huh? Congratulations to me, I guess._

She put the paperback on the table, before taking a shower, changing her clothes and, at last, going to rest.

As she layed in bed, she felt the presence entering her room.

'Hi.' Kaiya greeted. 'I think you saw the paper, right? About me becoming a Chūunin?'

The presence shifted a little.

'I don't know if that's a yes or a no.' Kaiya laughed lightly. 'Anyhow, it seems that I'm Chūunin level. Funny enough, my father -Kakashi Hatake, you may know him- was an ANBU by now.'

The spirit shifted around a little more active in what Kaiya assumed to be surprise.

'Surprising, huh?' Kaiya asked. 'I don't know, he's like a prodigy or something. Strong, anyhow. Everyone compares me to him. I hardly know him and him didn't take part in raising me -not that I care much, to be honest-, so I guess that I don't have to compare myself to him as well if I don't want to.'

The spirit didn't shift anymore but remained still for a few moments before leaving the room quietly. Not like it could leave any other way than quiet, but it felt quieter than usual.


	7. 7 Training, begin!

**A/N: A few swear words ahead.**

Asura smiled as Kaiya landed another attack on her. With her help, the girl was making obvious progress in no time.

'Katon: Fire Breath!' Kaiya mumbled, forming the necessary hand signs.

As soon as the justu activated, a medium-sized blow of fire fell in Asura's direction.

Although the justu could do some good damage to the enemy, it wasn't a rare or unseen jutsu by any means and, if you knew your jutsus, you could counter it with no problems.

'Water style: Raging waves!' Asura countered, with a large amount of water that stopped the upcoming fire easily.

Kaiya cursed under her breath. _Plan B, in action!_

'Earth release: Mud wall!'

As the jutsu activated, a tall wall of mud rised from the ground, winning her a few second to move to her next step.

'Wind release: Great Breakthrough!' Asura attacked.

A powerful blast of wind hit the mud wall, destroying it in just seconds. Behind it, a crouched Kaiya remained still. _Got you, _thought Asura.

'Wind release: Air bullet!'

Sharp blows of air aimed at Kaiya, but as soon as they touched her, her body disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

'A Bunshin?' Asura murmured.

'_Gotcha.' _

Asura's eyes widened, as a hand was placed on her back. She turned around in an attempt to escape, only to find her arms and legs stuck with transparent threads, with chakra flowing through them.

'What did you do?' Asura asked.

'I put the temporary paralysis justu.' Kaiya smiled. 'Chakra absorbing jutsu.'

Asura chocked on her own words. As soon as Kaiya said that, Asura felt her body weakening. After a few minutes, Kaiya took her hand of the woman. While her own chakra was restored just fine, Asura's chakra reserves were emptied.

She tried to move her body, but the paralysis was still affecting her body. _This'll last for another ten minutes, _she thought. She wasn't a particular stranger to this justu, but she had yet to find a way to counter it.

'Asura-san, forgive me for this.' Kaiya said. 'Raining Needles jutsu.'

_Raining needles...? _Asura sighed a little. That will leave some marks.

'Hokage-sama, I'd say that she's jonin level.' Asura said, with a few bandages on her arms and face. 'She's capable of using the Raining Needles justu and she can cast the Temporary paralysis jutsu through threads.'

'Asura,' Tsunade sighed, 'You've been only training her for a week. It would be nearly impossible unless she's a prodigy.'

'I don't know about prodigy, but she's a fast learner for sure. She mastered the basics of ninjutsu very quickly, and it's only a matter of time until she'll learn enough ninjutsu to get skilled in it.'

Tsunade thought.

'Here's the deal, Asura. Although in strength, she might be near if not jonin level, she has yet to gain experience. You'll tutor Kaiya until she gets skilled enough for a jonin in all aspects- ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjustu, you name it. When you think that she's skilled enough, come again and let me know.'

Asura sighed. 'Yes, ma'am.'

Kaiya's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't that she couldn't believe it. It was just unexpected. She trained with the woman for a week and a half, and now this?

'Is this a prank?' She asked. 'You definitely caught me here.'

'Can't say I'm a fan of pranks, to be honest. So no, this is not a prank. I am willing to take you on a mission with me. It'll help you gain experience and be more skilled.'

Kaiya lowered her gaze, in thought. 'I see. What type of mission is it, Asura-san?'

'A-rank, aiding to an inspectation team from the land of Lighting.'

'Why do they need aiding, though? They should be fully capable of handling things themselves, shouldn't they? There isn't any war.'

'I know.' Asura nodded, understandingly. The girl was observant. She liked that. 'That's why Lady Hokage brought it up to A-rank. She doesn't really trusts those fuckers and as sure as hell that she won't send her genin to die like that.'

'Then... why me, Asura-san? You're a top jonin, but I'm still a fresh Chūunin with hardly any experience.'

Asura pursed her lips with a sigh as she looked at the girl.

'Kaiya, look at me. You may be inexperienced, but the Hokage chose you for a reason. You may not know it now, and nor do I, but it's better to not overthink it. It's better to not overthink what you cannot change.'

The woman's comment made Kaiya's mouth curl into a small smile. She might as well not admit the amount of confidence that Asura just boosted for her.

'When do we leave?' Kaiya asked, decisively.

'Now.' Asura smiled, 'You don't need to pack anything. Well, except for some weaponry. You might need that.'

'Yes, ma'am!'

And in a few minutes, they were gone. As they walked down the road out of Konoha, a question popped into Kaiya's mind.

'Do we have a scroll, Asura-san?'

Asura shook her head. 'We don't need one. There's hardly any information to give. All the info we have is that we'll meet a three member genin team from the Lightning at the barrier with the Land Hidden in the Frost. They'll lead us from there.'

Kaiya kicked a pebble. 'It's going to be a long trip until there, Asura-san. Three days.'

'Not if we can help it- I know a shortcut. We can make a day and a half to two days, instead of three.'

'Really?'

'Mhm.' Asura hummed. 'You have to run at a faster pace through some serious terrain. Do you think you can do that?'

Kaiya nodded.

'Of course.'

'Follow me, then.'


	8. 8 Spy

Even top jonins get tired, although they won't really admit it. Asura looked behind her, to see how her subordinate- she liked _subordinate _better than _student- _was doing.

'We're almost there.' Asura informed, between breaths. 'Should we take a break?'

'We should be at the border in about half an hour, if my calculations are correct.' Kaiya said, after a few moments. 'We should be able to manage without a break.

Asura nodded, along with a _hn. _

To be fair with herself, Kaiya felt fatigued, as running for a good 5 or 6 hour with hardly any break wasn't doing any good. But she also knew that time costed a price too expensive at that moment. They couldn't afford it. Not then.

Well, it was a good deal. They arrived to the border to the Land of Lightning, where a small, three-man cell of genin waited, along with a man, presumably their sensei.

'When will they _arrive? _We've been waiting for hours!' A red-headed girl with pigtails asked.

'Be patient, Hana.' The man said, calmly. 'They'll arrive soon.'

Kaiya looked at Asura, who nodded.

'Excuse me.' Asura adressed to the man, who turned to her quickly, along with his team. 'Are you waiting Konoha shinobi for an investigation mission?'

The man hesitated for a moment, in doubt, before analysing. Both women had Konoha headbands. _It must be them. _

'Yes.' He said, reserved. 'Are you the ones we're waiting for?'

'Mhm.' Asura nodded.

'I see. Please follow me. Guys, get up. We're going.'

Hana mumbled something along the lines of _finally! _As she and her teammates got up and followed their teacher.

'So, we'll go a bit in the east, the place we must go to is about an hour away.' The man explained.

'We must check on that family, right, Akio-sensei?' One of the boys in the team asked.

'Yep, we need to check on that family.'

'What... What family?' Kaiya asked, feeling her face twitch. She felt like she could connect some dots, but she needed more information for a conclusion.

'There's a weird family living in the woods.' Hana informed. 'They aren't affiliated to any land, but they live here in the Lighting. Raikage-sama sends someone every other week to check on them. To make sure they don't plan anything, y'know.'

Kaiya nodded. She knew exactly who they were going to investigate, and she had mixed feelings about it. Asura noticed how something was off- and her only guess was about to get confirmed.

'What's their name?' Kaiya asked, half-absent.

'Kobayashi.' Akio said. 'They're a pretty popular legend here, but you probably haven't heard of them.'

_You have no idea_, Kaiya thought with a sigh. Asura looked at the girl for any reaction that might give her out, but she did nothing. Asura shook her head, in an attempt to brush it off.

'We should hurry a bit, Akio-san.' Asura suggested. 'It's nearly afternoon, and we might want to check on them while they're still active.'

Akio bit his lip, and Kaiya couldn't help but notice his hand twitch a little. Maybe it was some sort of tic, but taking what Lady Hokage warned about, it was better to be alert. Kaiya turned around to Asura and mouthed a _be careful. _Asura blinked with a nod in assurance.

'Fine.' Akio said, as he jumped on the trees. 'Let's go.'

Kaiya crouched down next to the team as they watched behind the bushes. It was, indeed, a good spot for hiding. Except, a small problem.

'We shouldn't stay here for long, twenty minutes at most.' She said. 'They'll sense us otherwise.'

Akio frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'They have a pretty good sense of smell, and they aren't stupid. If we sit more than twenty minutes, our smell can hardly be hidden anymore.'

'How... How do you know this stuff?' One of the boys, Nobu, asked.

Kaiya paused for a moment. 'I know some stuff as well. Now, let's get that investigation done.'

Everyone bid quietly. They analysed everything, but nothing really happened. The place that they were looking at was fairly small meadow with a wooden statue in the middle, surrounded by various tents made out painted animal skin that was sustained by tall wood sticks.

The tents spread out on the meadow and a bit into the woods. The family was quite large, but since most tents held three to four people, it wasn't a surprise that the amount of tents wasn't too large.

'You guys see that large tent over there? The biggest one.' Akio told his team. 'That belongs to the Alpha, their leader. I think it's a woman.'

'I know.' Kaiya said, without getting her eyes off the small camp.

Of course she knew. It was common knowledge for her.

'Hm?' Akio questioned.

'Nothing.'

As they watched, something catched Kaiya's eye that made her smile a little. Her step-father, Kaito, was trying to teach her little brother Kouta some archery.

'Dad, Kaiya-chan didn't teach me archery like this! She did it otherwise.' Kouta commented.

'Well, your sister isn't here. You'll have to bear with me.' Kaito said.

Luckily for Kaiya, the team from the Lighting had a weaker hearing than her, so they probably couldn't make out what the two were saying. Unluckily for her, Asura trained herself for this kind of situations, ao she could understand them a bit better.

'Is that your little brother?' Asura asked, quiet enough that only Kaiya heard her.

Kaiya nodded. Suddenly, Kouta turned around in their direction. Just like his mother, he was gifted with a really sharp eyesight so it wasn't a big surprise when he noticed Kaiya. On Kaiya's behalf, she muttered some language worse than a farmer's.

'Dad, Kaiya's here!' Kouta said, pretty loudly.

'We need to leave.' Kaiya demanded. 'No questions allowed. I'll explain later.'

She seemed to have some effect, as nobody questioned it and dissapeared within seconds. As they ran through the forest, Kaiya noticed Aiko's tic of hand movement. This time, though, the aftermath came. Within seconds, they were surrounded.

About ten to fifteen shinobi with Lighting headbands stood ready for attack, each with various weapons in their hands.

'What's happening, sensei?' Hana asked, obviously panicking. 'They're from Kumogakure, just like us! Why are they attacking us?'

'Sorry, kids.' Akio apologised. 'Raikage-sama's orders.'

'You knew of this...?' Asura asked, her voice trailing off.

Their intentions were clear. The fact that the small team didn't stand a chance was also clear.

'Actually, Plan B!' Kaiya said.

Before anyone could say anything, the girl let out an long, almost inhumane howl.

'What are you doing, are you out of your mind?!' Asura yelled. 'You'll give off our location!'

'Too late.' Kaiya said, with a smirk. 'Katon: Fire breath!'

The attack went down with some good damage, putting down two unprepared men. The group lost composure for just a few moments, but it was enough for Kaiya's next attack to appear. Tens of voices could be heard coming towards them.

'_I swear I heard it!' _Someone said. 'I'm not going deaf, I know that for sure.'

'I heard it too, idiot.' A different voice answered. 'But the kid's supposed to be in Konoha.'

'Maybe she's on a mission!' A younger, familiar voice suggested. It was Kouta.

'How about you help me out?' Kaiya yelled, without looking back. 'I'll explain it later.'

'That's... Those are the Kobayashi!' One of the Lighting ninja yelled.

'_What...?' _Akio murmured in disbelief. 'How did you summon them?'

'Nee-chan! What did you do this time?'

'_I said _I'll explain it later, Kouta! Shut up.' Kaiya snapped. Sometimes, her brother proved to be more stupid than she thought him to be.

'Nee-chan?! _Are you a Kobayashi?' _Akio exclaimed, his face twisting in surprise.

'_Shit.' _One of the Lighting shinobi muttered. 'Maybe we should back out, Doko-sama.'

'They're just a bunch of wild animals. We can handle them. Attack!' Their leader, Doto, demanded.

The group obeyed immediately, landing various attacks with their swords and weapons. Unluckily for them, the clan that arrived out numbered them easily, and each person had weapons with them.

'Earth release: Mud wall!' Kaiya said, creating a wall behind the Lighting shinobi, making sure that they wouldn't escape easily. 'Wind release: Air bullet!'

Kaiya's bullets send the shinobi falling down on the ground. The distance between wasn't too high, so there were hardly any injuries. Asura felt impressed. Although the jutsu didn't land as much damage as it could when she did it, it was still very well made for someone who learned it just a day or two earlier.

Not only that, but the girl managed to put three jutsus one after the other and still have chakra left. With some more training, she'd give the girl a reccomendation to become jonin for sure.

For one thing, the enemy group was weakened. It wasn't quite a good thing, they all knew that. Even their leader. But would he back away? _Raikage-sama would kill him! _

The clan was an unexpected turn, but, again, nothing he couldn't handle, and there was no other choice- he needed to get rid of the clan.

'Attack!' He ordered. 'Attack that wretched clan!'

It was a blood bath. One or two people from the Kobayashi clan died, a few others were injured, but it couldn't be compared to the Lighting shinobi's fates- they were all massacred.

Kaiya's left eye twisted a little as her mother bandaged her head and arms in their tent that evening.

'I didn't expect to see you so soon, dear.' Fuzasane said. 'Especially not like this.'

'Why are you calling me _dear_?' Kaiya asked. 'You don't do that.'

'I was worried, and I'm glad you're ok. How comes you were here, anyway?'

Kaiya pursed her lips. Her mother wasn't really acting like her usual self, and she couldn't bring herself to tell her real motives. Yet, she couldn't really lie either.

'I got a mission nearby. We were attacked.'

Fuzasane nodded. 'I see.'

She didn't need her daughter to tell her that- she knew she was a bit confused. But, at the same time, she couldn't help it. Ever since Kaiya returned, she was more open and, well... mature than the one she remembered. She didn't seem to hold any grudge against neither of her fathers and, in a sense, it made her happy. They could be a happy family. _Could. _

But Kaiya had her own life now, and she didn't depend on the clan in any way. Fuzasane knew that, as a mother, she had no choice but to respect the path Kaiya chose.

'There, you're all patched up.' Fuzasane said, tying up the last bandages on Kaiya's arms. 'Are you hungry?'

'I'm good, I already ate something.' Kaiya said with a smile. 'Thank you.'

'You hardly ate anything.' Fuzasane frowned, before poking her head out of their tent. 'Kaito, bring some food here!'

Kaiya puffed in amusement. In just a few minutes, Kaito entered with a sack with various things to eat. He was a well-build man with scruffy-looking brown hair and various scars of his face, arms and animal skin jacket. While he would appear quite intimidating at first, his kind eyes would always give him off.

'I heard someone was hungry here.' He joked, as he ruffled Kaiya's head while sitting down next to Kaiya. 'How are you?'

'Been better.' Kaiya shrugged. 'What about you?'

'I'm fine, thanks. Haven't seen you in awhile, though.' Kaito said. 'Why don't you tell me how's everything going there in Konoha?'

Kaiya smiled. 'Let's see...'

She told him all that happened, and Kaito was impressed by the things that happened, especially how she was part of the team that saved the Kazekage. When Kaiya told him about how she was a Chūunin now and was training to become a jonin, he couldn't stop praising her (_It's because they finally recognise your talent! No wonder they send you to save the Kazekage._). Suddenly, Kouta entered the tent.

'Nee-chan, Taka wants to talk to you.'

Kaiya pursed her lips. Taka was her cousin, the son of the Alpha. She never took a particular like to him, and she was pretty sure that the feeling was mutual, but the only option that the circumstances gave them was of tolerating eachother, no matter the negative feelings.

She took a jacket on and walked out of the tent, followed closely by Kouta. It was a pretty dark night, but luckily, people lit up some torches through the camp.

'Be careful.' Kouta warned. 'I don't like his vibe.'

Kaiya sighed. She didn't like it either, but she couldn't avoid it. Whatever happened, happened. They walked through the camp until they reached a tall-ish boy with dark hair and sombre eyes. Kaiya motioned for her brother to go, and he did so immediately.

'What do you want, Taka?' Kaiya asked, after Kouta left.

'I wanted to talk to you.' Taka said, coldly. 'Mind walking with me?'

Kaiya pursed her lips. 'Fine. But not too far.'

They began trailing off on a path in the forest, with neither of them saying anything. It wasn't really unexpected from Taka to not hurry but... he never really took a liking in wasting time. Not without good reasoning. It worried Kaiya.

'So?' Kaiya asked. 'What is it?

'I was meaning to ask you something.' Taka said, eventually. 'Do you like it there in Konoha?'

Kaiya blinked a few times, taken aback by the question. She thought it would be something different.

'Yes, I like it there. Very much, in fact. Why?'

'Just wondering.' He paused for a moment. 'Would you come back to the clan?'

'I don't know- What's with these questions, Taka? Since when do you care how I'm doing?'

'Don't be rude. I was actually thinking of something. When I'll become Alpha, well, I want to be the next Alpha. After mother decides she's too old for the positions.'

Kaiya snorted out. Her aunt Ichika, the alpha who was also Taka's mother, was probably the most stubborn person she knew. The woman wouldn't give up on her position easily, even if for her son.

'So what's with that?' Kaiya asked, amused. If he just wanted to tell her about his goal about becoming the Alpha, then she shouldn't have stressed so much. 'Do you want me to tell you good luck, or...?'

'One can ease his job a little to become Alpha with the holy ritual.'

That moment, Kaiya felt her soul leave her body. 'The holy ritual' wasn't anything painful and was preferable that an Alpha had to do it before becoming Alpha, in order to focus on the clan and to bring purebloods into the world. In simpler words, The holy ritual was marriage. It was about then that Kaiya understood where Taka was going.

'What are you implying?' Kaiya sighed, shakily.

'I want you to help me become Alpha.' Taka said, stopping in his tracks. 'I think I'm almost as strong as mother.'

The holy ritual wasn't the most important thing in becoming an Alpha, of course- everyone gets married. The most important thing that one must do if they wish to become Alpha was, however, to defeat the current Alpha. That until one of them dies or alegedly gives up. If the current Alpha dies of old age or sickness without getting challenged, the succesor becomes the next Alpha. They can be challenged before getting named Alpha, too.

'So you want me to marry you?' Kaiya asked, quietly.

There was silence, and nobody make any sort of movement. They simply stood there in silence in the middle of the night, yet, Kaiya knew that she was right. Taka wanted, in fact, to have her marry him and bear his children.

'Taka,' Kaiya sighed, tensing all her muscles to hold composure. 'with all respect but, I don't love you. I have no interest in marrying you. It would make us both unhappy.'

Taka looked at her, the coldness in his eyes breaking a little.

'The final goal is much more bigger and rewarding. I'll be able to lead this clan into something so much better and, with your help, we might be able to get this clan into something many never dreamed of.'

Kaiya looked down for a moment with a sigh, before locking her eyes into an eye-contact with the boy.

'If I said that it doesn't sound good, I would lie. However, I still refuse. This isn't grandmother's teachings. You know them well too, don't you?'

Their grandmother was quite a wise woman who had some good t

'I know them very well and I respect them, but it isn't all about what a dead Alpha has to say. She's been dead for way too long for me to care anymore.'

'You're really determined to become the next Alpha, aren't you?'

'I _will _become the next Alpha. Is this your final answer?'

'My final answer is that if you really want to become Alpha, you'll have to look for someone else. Is this clear?'

Taka closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking a few breaths of the chill air.

'Yes. Everything is clear.'

'Perfect. Good luck, then.'

And with that, Kaiya turned around and left, without looking back. When she arrived back in the clan, she was greeted immediately by her brother.

'How's everything? Are you alright?' He bombarded with questions. 'What did he want? I swear if he hurt you-'

'I'm fine, Kouta. Believe me.'

Kouta pursed his lips as he tilted his head to an side. Kaiya was noticeably flustered, but it wasn't like she ever made a habit of opening up to him.

'Fine. If you need me, I'm here.'

Kaiya nodded. 'Thanks, dude.'

Out of nowhere, Asura appeared in front of her, followed closely by Hana. Just like her, the two were taken care of and were both bandaged.

'When are we leaving?' Asura demanded.

'Tomorrow morning, by sunrise. What tent are you in?' Kaiya asked, and Asura pointed to one of the tents nearby. 'Ok. In case you don't wake up in time, I'll wake you all up.'

'Don't worry.'

Kaiya nodded. 'Good night, then.'

'Goodnight.'

**A/N**

**Hey guys! How are y'all? So, the last 2 chapters or so were kinda shorter than my usual chapters, but here's an extra long one with like 3K of words. Tbh I didn't expect to write so much but here we are.**


	9. 9 An unexpected date

In the following two or three weeks, Kaiya remained on a tight schedule that mainly consisted of missions and training. She felt tired, but to be fair with herself, all those Chūunin missions and the strict training with Asura paid off well.

She managed to save some money and her results were paying off quite well. Last mission she went with her normal team, not too long ago, they were all surprised by her evolution (especially the Katon and the Air Bullets).

Even so, though, she _did _feel in need of a break and she hardly talked with her team or anyone else except for Asura. It drained her off pretty well. Yet, she couldn't really allow herself a break. She'll take a break when she'll become Jonin.

Kaiya walked down the streets in a late, warm afternoon of September with a few bags in her hands. She just returned from a few days long mission, and she dropped by a nearby shop to do some quick groceries. Suddenly, something touched her right hand and the bags in that hand were lifted to the point where they weren't in her hand anymore.

'Let me help you with that.' A posh voice said.

Kaiya looked up in surprise, only for her to smile in recognition.

'Oh, hi Lee.' She greeted. 'How are you?'

'I'm great! Well, almost great. I twisted my ankle today while training, but I'm still fine.'

Kaiya looked down at his feet. He was, indeed, stepping a little funny with one of his legs. She puffed in amusement.

'I have something for twisted ankles at home. If you want, I could give some to you.'

Lee smiled. 'Thank you, Kaiya-san. I appreciate it.'

After they returned from their mission of saving the Kazekage, Lee approached Guy, in hope that he'd get some answers about his feelings. He explained the best he could and, much to his surprise, Guy seemed excited about it. To be fair, it wasn't every day that one of his students -or anyone, to be honest- came to him for advice on the matter.

After a long talk, Lee eventually understood exactly what Guy suggested to do- be kind to her, listen to her, be there for her. Guy said that it was alright if she doesn't respond to his feelings in the same way. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. But, it was always worth a try.

'I haven't seen you in a while.' He stated nonchalantly. 'What have you been up to?'

'Missions, training... that would be it. It's honestly draining me, but I would really like to promote to jonin, y'know? Plenty of work, sweat and tears is the only way.'

Lee thought for a bit as they entered Kaiya's block, and in a few moments, her apartment. While he thought, they went into unpacking the stuff that's been in her bags and began sorting it out.

'It is true what you say, Kaiya-san, but you still need to catch your breath sometimes.'

'What are you suggesting? A break?'

'Yes, a short break. I'm sure it won't hurt anyone.'

Kaiya sighed in consideration as she put some cans in one of the closets. While she did that, Lee came next to her in order to place something in the closet as well and it was then that Kaiya noticed that he was a little bit taller than her, with maybe a finger or two. If he wasn't convincing, she didn't know what the boy was.

'Maybe I won't go on as many missions for a bit.' She said, eventually. 'You might be right.'

'So is that a yes?' Lee asked, as he locked eyes with Kaiya.

'I guess it is. Wait- don't put that in the fridge.' Kaiya urged, taking hold of Lee's hand as he wanted to put some pork meat in the fridge. 'I'll make some ramen later.'

Lee looked down at Kaiya's hand, that was now placed over his in an attempt to stop him. _Well, it worked._, he thought. The blood rosed up a little in his cheeks. Noticing it, Kaiya let go of his hand.

'Really?' He asked, calmly.

'Yeah. Do you want a bowl?'

'That would be nice.' Lee accepted as he regained his composure, after a few moments of silence. 'Thank you, Kaiya-san.'

Kaiya cracked a smile. 'No problem, Lee.'

'Itadakimasu,' Lee said ready to eat while putting his hands together, 'Thank you for the meal.'

Kaiya repeated the gesture and they began eating.

'This Ramen is really good!' Lee complimented, after the first bite. 'What kind of Ramen is it?'

'I don't know, to be honest.' Kaiya said, cracking a smile. The compliment made her day better than she'd like to admit. 'It's my own invention.'

'It's a good invention.' Lee said, with a mouthful of noodles.

'Thanks.'

For the next few moments, both of them remained still, enjoying the ramen.

'So tell me, what are Chūunin missions like?' Lee asked.

'Well, more difficult than the genin missions, but that's obvious.' Kaiya laughed. 'Well, about the _actual_ content in them, though, I can say they're more interesting. I did various patrols, a few scroll deliveries, most of them with traps or attacks, I think- oh yeah! Also a few guarding missions and escorts. The mission from which I returned today was an escort, actually. I needed to escort some old lady to some small village nearby. Turns out she was a pretty powerful person with quite a few enemies in her village, so she's pretty paranoid nowadays.'

Lee nodded as he slurped on his noodles. 'Understandable. Are all the missions as crazy as the exams for the Chūunin exams?'

Kaiya snorted. 'Depends. They're all pretty risky, but the chance of death isn't so big, though. But let me tell you something- dangerous or not, sometimes the requests sound so stupid that they are just _hilarious_!'

Lee smiled at the girl's amusement. 'Tell me more.'

The late afternoon soon turned into evening, that eventually turned into night. Anyhow, it was a good end of day for both Kaiya and Lee. Turns out that Kaiya's gel for twisted ankles was quite helpful as, just in an hour or two, the pain lessened considerably. As the two talked at the table with their bowls long since empty, an audible series of _thuds _could be heard coming from one of the windows.

Kaiya excused herself and, just as she expected, a message pigeon was waiting at her window. She took the piece of paper attached to its leg and let the pigeon go.

'Sorry 'bout that. A message pigeon came with something from Lady Hokage.' Kaiya said absently as she returned to her seat.

'Hm? May I ask, what does it say?' Lee asked, curious.

'Eh... let me read it out loud.'

_Dear Kaiya Kobayashi,_

_You have proven great improvement and completed many missions very skillfully. Because of that, your instructor, Tonkawa Asura, recommended you to take place in the_  
_Jonin exams, next Monday. Good luck!_

_The fifth Hokage,_  
_Tsunade Senju_

As she finished reading, Kaiya stopped in her tracks in order to suck in the information.

'Can I see the letter?' Lee said.

Kaiya shrugged absently as she handed it to the boy. 'Sure.'

'Become jonin? But that's amazing!' Lee exclaimed with the largest grin on his face. 'Have you even seen what she said? _You completed many missions skillfully! _Isn't that... eh... Kaiya, what's wrong?'

It was then that Lee noticed that Kaiya didn't look so happy or excited about it. For a fact, her face didn't show any emotion.

'Well,' Kaiya chocked on her own words, 'I just became Chūunin about a month ago. Is it normal for me to advance to jonin already? It's going too fast. Do you really think I'd be able to keep up and be as good as the other jonins?'

Lee bit his lip as he analysed. After about a few minutes of silence, he placed his hand over Kaiya's, forcing her to look at him straight in the eyes.

'You won't be as good as the other jonins. Not at first. But with practice and time, you'll do amazing.'

Kaiya puffed as she repeatedly opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out but a smile. She didn't know what to say. Her heart warmed up as she felt kilograms of gratitude build up in her, sending a butterfly-like feeling in her stomach. There were a thousand and one feelings building up inside of her, triggered by just a few words.

She turned her hand around and let her thumb massage the back of Lee's hand, still thinking of what to say. On the other hand, Lee couldn't help but feel joy from her reaction.

'Thank you, Lee.' Kaiya said, eventually, with a smile. 'I appreciate it.'

Lee sighed lightly as he tightened his grip one more time on Kaiya's hand before letting go while getting up.

'It's getting late.' he said, 'I better head home.'

Kaiya nodded. Her hand remained for a moment in the position it sat while holding Lee's hand, before following the rest of its body as it got up. Kaiya walked with Lee to the door, before he turned around to her once more.

'Good night, Kaiya-san.' Lee said.

'Good night, Lee-kun. Thank you again for your support.'

Their eyes held contact for another moment before Kaiya closed the door. She walked back in her apartment, taking the bowls to the sink, until a thought stopped in her tracks. _Is she insane? She referred to him with -kun! What a joke, he must be laughing right now._

For the first time that evening, the presence appeared in the room as Kaiya washed the bowls. Kaiya turned to where she thought the spirit to be, somewhere to her left.

'I referred to him with -kun, didn't I?' Kaiya asked it. 'Please tell me I'm not going insane.'

The presence's above body shook a bit.

'Hopefully, that's no. He's probably laughing right now.'

But he wasn't laughing. On the other side of the door, Lee's eyes lingered for a bit on Kaiya's door. _...-kun? She referred to him as Lee-kun!_

He felt so happy that a wave of energy hit him, making him want to dance. He couldn't wait to tell this to Guy-sensei! But... how would he adress this? _So, sensei, I had dinner at Kaiya-san's... _No. _I had dinner __**with **__Kaiya-san... _Gah! It sounded like a date either way. He was pretty sure that that wasn't a date... was it?

He might as well not hurry in telling Guy-sensei. It was getting late, and he was growing tired after the day. For all he knew, what he needed to do now was to get home.


	10. 10 Becoming Jonin

Kaiya never thought she'd get this far. The first stage of the exams was rather easy. Along with a dozen of other people somewhat older than her were requested on Training Grounds 7 at five in the morning.

It happened all the time that a seventeen or eighteen year old would try and become jonin so it wasn't really unusual, but some candidates took an interest, just like many others, in Kaiya as she was the infamous' copycat, Kakashi Hatake. To be fair with them, the idea that the silver-haired man had a daughter would be fascinating to many people and Kaiya didn't blame them, but she expected that, in the three years that she was gone, people would just learn go come along with it. For all she guessed, people were yearning for interesting things to happen and to be talked about.

In the first stage, people were put in one-versus-one combats. The stakes were simple- the ones who lost or gave up were eliminated. When Kaiya's turn finally came around, There were eight people left in total. She was matched with a tall, 19 year old boy named Yuto Takahashi, with pale blond hair and a confident look. As they waited for the fight to start, Kaiya's eyes flickered to the forest nearby, sensing a presence.

She located it quickly and realised it was the same spirit as when she got tested by Anko-san- the same green suit, short dark hair and mustache. The man had a painfully similar look to Guy-sensei. Suddenly, another presence appeared next to Guy's doppelganger. This one, while still very familiar, was invisible. It was the ghost in her home.

'And... _go_.' the proctor said, announcing the start of their fight.

'Let the show get started.' Yuto murmured under his breath. 'Blade of Wind!'

She didn't see this jutsu before, but Kaiya was positive that she couldn't counter the jutsu. S_he needed defense. _

_'Earth release: Mud wall!' _

A wall of mud rised from the ground before getting destroyed to bits by the sharp wave of wind. Well, the wall did it's job and kept Kaiya unharmed. Before she could even react, she felt someone appear behind her. She grabbed a kunai from her bag and, as she turned around, she stretched the hand holding the silver kunai. Unluckily for her, Yuto grabbed her immediately by her wrists, blocking her hands from doing anything. Kaiya puffed, amused.

'You fool.' She said, quietly.

Kaiya dropped the kunai and grabbed the boy's arms. The boy's confusion helped her plan as she took a good grip on the boy's hands and pulled forth. The boy lost balance, allowing Kaiya to jump in the air and, after putting a foot on his stomach, she hit the boy's chin with her other foot, pushing him away on his back. The boy hit the ground with a loud _thud!_ and, before he knew it, the girl was sitting with a kunai at his neck. Various people acclaimed in surprise.

'Earth Release: Snake vines.' Kaiya said.

As she activated the jutsu, vines rised from the ground, curling around Yuto's limbs. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke emerged, only for Kaiya to realise that her victim wasn't a person, but a log. Some giggles could be heard from the public as comments of the sort of _How embarassing!_ and _How did she not see through that?, _or even_ Isn't she a Hatake, though? How can she risk her family's name like that? ._ Kaiya gritted her teeth. Not now.

Kaiya turned around quickly and just in time: Yuto landed another attack. He now seemed to change his tactic and move to taijutsu, as he stopped using jutsus. He attempted landing a few fists, all dodged by Kaiya with ease. Kaiya put her palms against Yuto's fists as he attempted an attack, blocking him. She smirked as he tried to escape, she turned her hands around, making his hands make a near 360° rotation. Well, it was enough to twist his wrists. Although in great pain, the boy bit his lip and kept resistance.

He pulled away and took a few steps back. It became very clear that he could hardly use his hands anymore without being in more excruciating pain. It was an obvious sign of alarm, but as sure as hell that he won't give up now. He worked too hard.

'Don't be a coward! Come and fight.' Kaiya said, ready to attack.

'With what?' Yuto mocked. 'A _dog?'_

The crowd exploded in laughter. They all knew she was related to the Inuzuka, and they knew a bit of her Shapeshifting Kekkei Genkai as well. At that moment, Kaiya felt her patience coming to an end.

She took six kunais and threw them to Yuto, one by one. The first one flew right next to Kaiya's next, only to be hit by the second kunai, making it go around his neck and fly back to Kaiya. The movement repeated with the rest of the kunais. Five kunais fell in various places close behind Yuto, and the sixth next to Kaiya. The boy puffed in amusement, but he turned back serious quickly. Although she missed some attacks, he realised that she wasn't stupid nor weak. He was simply shaper.

Well, he wasn't sharp enough for the last move. Kaiya raised her hand and rested it on what it looked to be thin air. It wasn't. Yuto squinted his eyes a little, only to take in a surprised breath as the thing that the girl's hand rested on shined in sun's light. It wasn't air, but a very thin metal thread. Kaiya let her fingers curl around the thread, and spinned the thread two times around her index finger.

Yuto felt a light pressure around his neck, giving him a sensation of choking. The light pressure soon appeared around his arms and legs. Kaiya took a good grip on the thread, before pulling. It was then that Yuto realised what she was doing- she trapped him with something as simple as thread. This time, though, his body wasn't a bunshin or replacememt this time. His hands were stuck. He couldn't save himself. He bit his lip. _No._

'I retreat.' Yuto said.

A few surprised mumbles could be heard, but Yuto didn't care. If he were to lose, he wanted to do it by his own hand.

'Are you sure?' The proctor asked. It happened sometimes that one of the participants to quit, but the protocol was to make sure they were sure.

Yuto nodded.

'Alright then,' The proctor sighed as he pulled out a list with their names, 'so be it. Takahashi Yuto, out. You can watch the rest of the matches if you wish, or you're free to leave. The winner is Kobayashi Kaiya.'

Kaiya smiled as she freed Yuto.

'Nice fight, Yuto-san.' She said optimistically.

One thing she learned from her team was how one gains nothing from acting sour. Besides, she won! She could at least act decent and nice towards Yuto, now that the match was over.

Yuto mumbled something as he shook the last threads off his legs before taking his leave. Kaiya took her kunais and threads back and returned to the group.

'Such decency, though.' A shinobi in the group told the other. 'You know how Kakashi-san was like when he was a kid? She's nothing like him.'

'She's seventeen. Kakashi-san wasn't so cocky when he was her age, either.' Someone next to the first shinobi answered.

As the proctor announced the next match, a tall woman in her mid-20's turned to Kaiya with a smile.

'Kaiya, was it? Congratulations on the match. You did well.'

'Thank you, ma'am.' Kaiya responded. 'Although, it doesn't really feel like winning. Yuto-san quitted just before I could finish the match.'

The woman chuckled.

'It's funny how you adress to your opponent with -san, but it shows your respect. Anyhow, don't stress much about this- you won, and he chose to leave this fight. This is how it is, it happens sometimes.'

Kaiya nodded, in agreement. 'I see.'

The woman looked at the girl, in thought.

'I've did this exam before.' She said. 'This part is only to get rid of the weaklings. The _real_ test is about to come.'

Kaiya raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'Is that so?'

'Yep.' The woman nodded. 'By the way, my name's Akane.'

'Nice to meet you. I suppose... you already know my name.'

'Welcome back, everyone. I happy to see you all.' The proctor greeted, politely. 'If you made it this far, it means your ready for the second and final part of this exam.'

It was a late noon and they were standing in front of a circular, stone building in the woods, not too far away from the training grounds.

'Alright, boys and girls.' The proctor said, catching everyone's attention. 'Here's what you have to do. Everyone will enter the building and you'll have to be in survival mode until you find the other exit. Any questions?'

Nobody said nothing.

'Good.' The proctor said as he walked to the building's door and opened. 'Then, please enter.'

Everyone entered the room quietly and, as soon as the door behind them closed, it became clear that stuff will become more complicated than expected. It was pitch black, and the ground wasn't necessarily plain. In fact, it was like a maze. To be fair with herself, Kaiya doubted that her eyes would get used to the darkness, as not even the slightest bit of light entered the room.

People started spreading around the room, leaving Kaiya and Akane behind.

'I guess we're on our own now.' Kaiya whispered. 'Good luck, Akane.'

And with that, Kaiya left, trying to get a plan. After what seemed to be hours of running without end in the pitch black, Kaiya stopped on one of the boulders, smelling an awful odour that reminded her of the smell of hunt back at home in the Kobayashi clan. She created a small fire and it took a moment for her to fully process what layed in front of her.

_On the ground, the corpse of a shinobi layed cold. The cause of death was obvious- a deep, large stab through the stomach was enough to finish the person. Kaiya felt her heart miss a beat or two. The odour filled Kaiya's nose and she felt how her head became light as a memory flickered through her mind._

_Jun..._

_Corpse..._

_Murder..._

For a second, Kaiya came to her senses as she felt someone approaching from behind her. She destroyed the fire as fast as she could and attempted to escape, only for her body to weaken along with her mind. She jumped in the air successfully, but as soon as she was about to land, everything seemed to spin around, before she blacked out.

Kaiya's eyes opened slowly as she tried to figure out her current location and what happened. It was still pitch black and- _The jonin exams. _

Kaiya jumped on her feet, trying to regain balance. As soon as she did, it became clear how, when she passed out, she fell between the boulders. As far as she could tell, she had no wounds. _Everyone must've thought she was already dead. _She jumped back on a boulder and ripped a bit from her blouse, before lighting it on fire. She was close to an exit and, as far as she could tell, she was all alone in the room. She closed the fire and hurried to the exit. She pushed the door open, and it was then that she realised how much she needed to take a deep breath of fresh air.

She regained composure and noticed how by the time she got out, it was the middle of the night. _Shit! _Hopefully, the next jonin exams were coming soon.

She made her way down the training grounds and the Konoha's streets, when someone familiar called for her.

'Hey kid!'

Kaiya turned around slightly alarmed, but relaxed immediately. A middle-age woman with spiky long brown hair and red triangles on her cheeks looked at her worryingly.

'Aunt Tsume!' Kaiya exclaimed, relieved. 'Hi. We haven't talked in awhile. How are you?'

Tsume smiled with a sigh of relief as she walked closer to Kaiya. She had many nieces and nephews, yet Kaiya managed to be one of her favourites, if not her favourite. The girl was sharp and they were like-minded, plus the fact that she was her favourite sister's daughter. To be fair, people hardly liked her other sister, Ichika.

'We didn't talk for some time, that's true. Anyhow, I'm fine so don't worry about me.' Tsume chuckled as she ruffled Kaiya's hair. 'Kiba heard something about you taking part in the Jonin exams. The thing ended _hours_ ago, but you never came! I was worried sick. What happened?'

Kaiya puffed out is somewhat disappointment.

'I fainted. I saw a corpse and... and _the smell of it!_ It remembered me of Jun and... I don't know. I'm sorry.'

Tsume sighed.

'Don't apologize, kid. I heard what happened to your brother, your mother told me at the funeral. It was a tragic event, especially for you. Can't imagine the pain.'

Kaiya smiled bitterly. 'It hurt alot. Still does, sometimes.'

'I'm glad you're fine, though.'

Another smile grew on Kaiya as Tsume pulled her into a bear hug.

'I know... you people don't really like physical affection. It's kinda bullshit in some ways, but I know for a fact that it's keeping it safe- I grew up there too so I think I would know. I hope you don't mind.'

'I don't.' Kaiya assured as she rested her head on the woman's shoulder. 'It's fine for me. I think... I think I needed it.'

The woman breathed out slowly as she rubbed the girl's back. Even if she's talented, even if she's Chūunin, Jonin or ANBU or Hokage, she's still only 17. She's still a kid who needs guidance and love. She just happened to be born under some unpleasant circumstances, and to live a series of unfortunate events. And now... she's trying to get back on track.

'You're a good kid, Kaiya, you hear me?' Tsume said, quietly, 'I just want you to know that I'm proud of you and if you ever need help, advice or anything, I'll be here for you. Ok?'

Kaiya nodded as she felt her eyes start stinging. 'Yeah.'

Tsume puffed in amusement as she pulled Kaiya from the hug by her shoulders. 'There, there. No need to get emotional. You should head home now, and tommorrow, we'll have a talk with Lady Hokage. I'm sure she'll understand.'

Kaiya smiled. 'Thank you, Aunt Tsume.'

'A'right. Good night, then. Take care!'

Tsume turned around and walked away slowly into the night, leaving Kaiya alone with her own thoughts. Although she knew of her presence there, she never visited Aunt Tsume when she first came to Konoha all those years ago. Kaiya didn't understand why, now thinking about it. Tsume was quite strict but loving mother. If she just went to her, she probably wouldn't have missed on a healthy lifestyle as much as she did.

_Weird_, Kaiya thought as she shook her head. She turned around quietly and continued the path to her home.


	11. 11 Living as a Jonin

'I don't see why she shouldn't be a jonin.' Tsunade said, stirring her coffee. 'Those exams are a facade, anyway. If I want to, I can send any jonin back to Chūunin in less than a second, and vice versa.'

Kaiya and Tsume were in the Hokage's office, both kneeling down. Shizune coughed lightly, bringing Tsunade back to the point.

'Right,' Tsunade said. 'Anyway, Kaiya has the skills to be a jonin. It's still pretty early to assign her a team, so I'll let her be and do missions as a Jonin. Now, before we make anything official, I must ask, Kaiya. Do you think you're ready to be a jonin? You've been changing ranks very quickly.'

Kaiya gulped. Of course she wanted that raise- She worked so hard just for that promotion. Now, she better keep the work up, or she would take a step back. She would fail the trust that Lady Hokage put in her by allowing her to take the jonin exam, and most importantly, she would fail herself.

'I think I'll do. If I cannot complete missions successfully according to this rank's expectations, I'll resign to Chūunin.'

Tsunade nodded. 'So be it. Then, you're officially Jonin now.'

'Good job, kid.' Tsume said, quietly.

Kaiya grinned as she lowered her head a little, in gratitude. 'Thank you, Lady Tsunade.'

'You deserve it.' Tsunade said. 'I think I'll get some B and A-rank missions on Tuesday. Can you come to take one?'

Kaiya nodded. 'Of course. Anytime.'

'Then you're free to go.' Tsunade said with a nod.

The two women bowed, before leaving the room. After the door was closed and they found themselves at a distance from the office, Tsume burst out.

'That's awesome, kid! Congratulations. You just became jonin and Lady Hokage already called you in for a mission! Just before you know it, you'll become a tokubetsu jonin just like me!'

'An elite jonin?' Kaiya laughed dryly. 'Wouldn't really get my hopes for it, to be honest. Not that I'm bad, but I don't have any special skills.'

'Are you _stupid_?' Tsume pushed Kaiya's head. 'You don't have special skills _yet. _You have good sensory skills, by that I mean smell and sight. Add your Kekkei Genkai and other thing from the Kekkei Genkai you have to the list and, when you master them, you might as well become an elite ninja.'

Kaiya sighed. 'I don't want to get mutilated, though.'

Tsume knew exactly what her niece was talking about. The risk of their Kekkei Genkai of shapeshifting into wolves risked them to remain with parts wolf, unable to transform them back into a human. That promised, of course, quite a bit of pain and suffering.

'Nobody wants to, but you won't get anything without risking, dear. If you don't want to master your Kekkei Genkai, it's fine. If you _do_ want to master it, you have to work and dare to risk. You choose.'

It made sense. The thing was, Kaiya didn't know if she wanted to risk it. She wanted to live so much to experience life normally, not as some sort of monster. Yet... it was her family.

It was a tough decision.

'So?' Tenten asked, as they walked down the streets of Konoha with their team. 'How did the exam go?'

'I passed.' Kaiya said, simply. She didn't feel like going in detail.

'That means we have not one, but _two _jonin in the team now!' Guy said, happily.

'Oh yeah, Neji's a jonin, too.' Kaiya stated blankly.

'Man, I really must promote to jonin! I feel like I'm falling behind.' Tenten said, as Lee mumbled something.

'Don't stress, the Jonin exam is a pain, honestly.' Neji said. 'Isn't it?'

'_It is_,' Kaiya confirmed. 'People literally die there and everyone acts like it's no big deal.'

'Well, those are the requirements. Ass a Jonin, you'll sometimes see people die. It happens.' Guy cut the two off. 'Since Kaiya graduated, why don't we go for some barbecue? I know a good restaurant.'

_Those really are the requirements_, Kaiya thought as she looked over the B and A rank missions laying on the Hokage's desk, offered by Tsunade. They were all pretty dangerous missions of infiltrations and assassination, but at the same time, they all paid off well.

'If I may recommend one,' Shizune said, hesitantly, 'I'd recommend the assassination of Hamura Hinata.'

Tsunade nodded in agreement. 'I agree with Shizune. It's a good start. He's a missing-nin from Konoha that left a few months ago. We don't know for sure about his current capabilities, but he was a tokubetsu jonin with sensory skills, and has various information about Konoha that we would rather not divulge.'

Kaiya looked at the scroll with the request for a moment.

**Name: Hamura Hinata**  
**Gender: male**  
**Age: 35**  
**Status: Still alive, missing-nin**  
**Wanted: Preferably Dead**  
**Skills: Exceptional sensory skills (sight, smell, chakra detection), excels in ninjustu and genjutsu.**  
**Weaknesses: Unknown**  
**Appearance: Pale yellow hair, blue eyes, aprox 1,65 m in height.**  
**Whereabouts: Last seen in the Nochi*, 100 kilometres to the south-west of Konohagakure. **

**Reward: 10,000 Ryo**

'I'll take it.'

Kaiya felt her heart throbbing as she jumped from one tree to another through the forest. As a Chuunin, she's been sent on one or two individual missions before, but this time, though, it felt different. Her hands felt cold and a little sticky, as her ears were more receptive than most Walkie Talkies available. To be fair with herself, the idea of an assassination send goosebumps along with shivers through her entire body. Although she tried to think it through professionally, it was hard. She was sent to kill another human being who didn't do anything wrong in her eyes. It was all a pesky risk that Konoha wanted to get rid of.

The very few individual missions she's been on as a Chūunin were never this risky. None of them made Kaiya feel so isolated from people like this one. She checked if her tachi was still there, on her back. Tachi, present.

Her arm passed by her forehead for a moment, her sleeve absorbing the sweat resting there. If she remembered correctly, she'd find the man somewhere around... here. The entrance to a small village appeared in front of her, making her stop. She didn't leave the Land of Fire yet, so the people were probably affiliated with Konoha. To be fair, the people in the small village didn't mind much what happened in Konoha, as long as it didn't affect them or their businesses.

People there were near exclusively merchants, farmers, tailors or weapon makers. Only a few of them chose to become shinobi, and the ones who did want to become so, the only option was to move to Konoha. It was quite a turn-off, as people loved their families and hometown. With that, the idea to visit your family only maybe, once a year or so wasn't always nice. Well, for most, anyway. There was always someone willing to do this sacrifice.

_Act normal, _Kaiya told herself, mentally. _Don't take action unless necessary._

She jumped from the branch she was sitting on back on the ground, on the path leading to the entrance. Her best chance of finding Hinata was of asking around. She took a deep breath and looked in the reflection of a muddy puddle nearby. Her face was clean, and her hair was fine. She squinted for a moment at her reflection. _She needed to cut her hair again. _Her hair started to reach a little under her shoulders and, well, she didn't find it practical. She scooped a hair tie out of one of her pockets and tied her hair in a quick bun. She checked for her clothes and headband to look alright, before stepping into the small village.

'Do you think she'll be alright?' Shizune asked quietly as she arranged some papers in Tsunade's office.

'Who?' Tsunade asked absently, while signing some papers.

'Kaiya. It's her first mission as a jonin and well... _an A-class assassination_, Tsunade-sama. I have second thoughts in recommending it.'

Tsunade sighed as she put down the pen she was holding.

'Shizune, look. The girl wanted to be jonin. We can't pamper her just because she's special in any way- she isn't. Kaiya's an ordinary seventeen-year-old who happens to be Kakashi's kid. No big deal.'

'But still, Tsunade-sama, an assassination?'

'The best sailors aren't made from calm seas,' Tsunade said, 'That's what they say. Or something like that. My point is, if she wants to be a jonin, then treat her like a jonin.'

Shizune nodded. 'Yes, Tsunade-sama.'

Without them knowing, a third party heard everything they said. Kakashi sighed. Recently, he grew into the habit of eavesdropping various conversations that weren't meant for his ears to hear. Still, a bad habit takes nearly a month to get rid of, and he didn't have that time.

_A jonin already, huh? She might get something from me; the skills to advance quickly through ranks. _For all he hoped, Kaiya wouldn't get in the ANBU anytime soon. Not with Danzo around. The man created enough trouble to him in his time there- god knows what he might do to Kaiya. As for her current rank, he might want to congratulate her when she returned...

As Kaiya walked through the village, she looked for a place that looked acceptable to ask about the so-said criminal. Well, no place was fitting for such a thing in any kind of reality, but people liked to talk. If you knew where to search, it was like you had a bingo book in your hands. The people who had the most information were probably merchants.

She walked to a booth that sold clothes, where she was greeted by an old-ish looking woman.

'Hello!' The woman said, cheerfully. 'Are you interested in anything? I just got some nice dresses, and... and some really nice scarfs here, too...'

'I'm not looking for anything in particular. I'm more curious.' Kaiya said calmly, as she analysed the clothes displayed on the wooden booth quietly for a few moments, before turning her voice quieter. 'Have you heard of Hamura Hinata?'

The woman smirked pleased as she spotted Kaiya's headband. 'You guys are finally getting rid of that bastard?'

'Hm?' Kaiya's head rose up, making eye contact with the woman. 'Oh, um, we would like Hinata-san back, that's all. We won't get rid of him.'

One thing she learned in her time as a Chūunin was that people outside her team weren't trustable. If she ever found herself in situations where she had to give information, the more inaccurate information, the better. The old woman bent over the booth.

'You'll find Hinata on the other side of the village, on the farmlands, in an abandoned, black old house, close to some woods. Be careful with him, shinobi-san. People died while trying to bring his head. All because of his intelligent use of genjutsu. Be careful with his genjutsu.'

Kaiya nodded. It was always good people would be cooperant without insisting on much information in return.

'I've been warned about his genjutsu skills. Thank you for the information, miss.'

'Good luck.'

The woman puffed pleased as Kaiya walked away, stopping by a few other booths. _Finally, a decent shinobi. _

In less than an hour, Kaiya was certain of the following: a) Hinata was to be found in the farmlands in an abandoned house. b) People wanted him gone. And c) He was dangerous enough that many people lost their life by him.

Kaiya walked down the exit road as the sun moved it's the position just above the town, the usual for mid-noon. As she finally exited the village, she was welcomed by a golden sea of wheat, with a tree every here and there. It wasn't visible at first sight, but if you looked closely, a small, wooden cottage was laying in the middle of the grains. The cottage was black and had a quite uncared, abandoned look. It wasn't too far away, maybe two kilometres away, and Kaiya's nose was filled by a rotting, stinging smell that was hard to describe. It smelled like... well, it smelled like dry blood and strong blue cheese mixed together. It wasn't a nice smell, in any case.

Kaiya took a deep breath in an attempt to regain composure, before walking down slowly towards the old house. As she walked, a sudden agitated squeaking below her stopped her. A small, grey mouse was running in a circle just between her boots, squeaking without a break. Kaiya frowned. _It might be a mouse with rabies of some sort., _she thought as she shook her head, focusing her attention back to the house. She had a mission to complete, and she wanted to be home by tomorrow.

She put her hands in her pockets as she started walking again. In just a matter of minutes, Kaiya found herself in front of the abandoned house. She walked up the two stairs and, before she would proceed further on the balcony and into the house, she took a Kunai from her pocket, knelt a little and pressed it against the thin air before her lower-legs. No strings. She picked a rather large pebble from the stairs and threw it on the balcony. It was heavy enough to do some thumps that could be mistaken for footsteps by the unaware and traps.

No traps. There were no traps. It meant that a bigger _something_ would wait for her inside. Well, not necessarily a something, but rather... _someone_.

Kaiya pursed her lips as she pulled her hand up her sleeve, before touching the doorknob. She pushed the doorknob in an attempt to open it, to discover that the door is unlocked. She pulled the door open, and as she did, she jumped off the balcony. When she landed, Kaiya noticed a handful of kunai thrust into the wooden floor. _Nice one!, _Kaiya thought, congratulating herself mentally.

She got on her feet and walked to the kunais. All good merch and new. Another few kunais to her collection she guessed, as she collected them into her weapon bag. She entered the building carefully, analysing every inch. She entered a room with no lights -in fact, the entire house seemed to lack electricity, thus no lights- that seemed to hold the job of a rather spacious hallway. On the other side of the room was a staircase that led to the first floor. To the right, en-face from the stairs stood a 1/3 open door, that let a ray of sunlight enter the dark hallway. Kaiya approached the door carefully and laid one of her hands on it. Her hands pulled the wooden door into opening, only for it to prove its oldness by letting out a long, loud _creak_.

Kaiya jerked her head around, as a cackling echoed through the house. Instinctively, her hand reached for a kunai, without pulling it out. She felt her muscles tensing while her heartbeat fastened as she waited for an attack to land.

Gravity seemed to become stronger as it painfully pulled her muscles to the ground. Kaiya grabbed one of her shoulders with the opposite hand in pain, trying to resist the urge to kneel down. Kaiya raised her head, only to see shadows slithering funny on the walls, then on the ground and eventually around her, whispering mostly intelligible things.

'_The boy...' _A small voice whispered. '_He died because of you...'_

'What boy?' Kaiya grunted.

'_The small boy... He died because of you.' _

'What boy?!' Kaiya asked, demandingly.

'_Hmm... Jun, is it? I'm pretty sure it was him.'_

Kaiya felt her blood cooling off. This was, perchance, genjutsu, but what kind? Whoever the caster was an absolute stranger. How would he know Jun... or _this_?

'This... This is none of your business. Show yourself!'

Kaiya's head lightened, among with the rest of her body. As her brain went into a sleeping state and her body felt like it was flying, her eyesight went darker and darker and darker to the point where Kaiya simply gave up on seeing anymore. She closed her eyes and remained still. She never experienced genjutsu before. Not to this extent, anyway.

Suddenly, her body hit the ground violently, pushing all the air out of Kaiya's lungs, making her gasp for air. When she calmed down, she realised how her left side hurt terribly, pain coming with every pulse and breath she took in. _Dammit! I broke a rib. _As she still layed on the ground, she looked around. Familiar trees stood tall above her as familiar smells filled her nose.

It was then she realised- she was at home. No, not Konoha. The Kobayashi clan's base camp entrance. Kaiya stood up in a sitting position as she tried to bring herself to her senses by rubbing her head. When the world didn't feel so light anymore, Kaiya attempted to stand up on her feet, only to lose balance immediately, sending her back laying on the ground. Even in genjutsu, she was still weakened by its side effects. _Maybe that was the whole point._

No. It was just part of the plan. After what seemed to be a few minutes that passed, Kaiya decided to give getting up another try. This time, everything felt like normal. Well, more or less; it was genjutsu- she could tell _that_ for sure. Kaiya analysed the basecamp until something caught her attention.

A much younger Kaiya, at the age of eight, was tugged by a seven-year-old Jun. The boy had many features similar to his sister's- short hair of the same shade of dark brown, a sharp chinned face, brown eyes, and a frail body as a whole.

'Kaiya-nee, _you promised_!' Jun said, not giving up.

'I know, but I have to train with Taka now!' Kaiya exclaimed, before sighing. She knelt down so she could be the same height as Jun and grabbed her brother by her arms. 'Look, we can tomorrow. I'm _serious.' _

The 17-year old Kaiya felt something Building in her neck, holding her just moments from tears. It was a memory that she remembered very clearly. Probably the clearest memory she has from her childhood. But from all memories... why _**that**_ memory?

Jun sighed as he pulled away, obviously displeased. 'Fine, then. _Taka here, Taka there, _but never me.'

Both Kaiyas tensed while biting their lower lip as they watched Jun head onto the forest.

'_Be careful!'_ Kid Kaiya yelled after her brother, hoping he'd forgive her.

It was the last time Kaiya ever saw Jun alive. The seventeen-year-old girl hurried in following Jun's footsteps in the forest without hesitation, hoping for some answers. As she caught up to him as he hurried through the forest, she tried to put a hand on Jun's shoulder, only for her hand to go right through him. The boy didn't flinch once. For anyone could tell, he didn't notice nor feel anyone behind him.

'Don't bother much,' a calm voice next to Kaiya said, nearly making the seventeen-year-old jump. Kaiya moved her head to the left, only to see a middle-aged man with pale blonde hair and blue eyes who was just a little smaller than her in height. _Exactly the description of Hinata. _'You can't change this boy's fate. This is just a memory, after all. Just the past.'

'Just... the past.' Kaiya repeated, in a mumble.

'Exactly. The past is the past. As much as it hurts, you can't change it. Honestly. The past isn't worth all the pain.'

Kaiya frowned, as they stopped along with Jun, who spotted a deer. 'Why are you telling me all this?'

Hinata sighed. 'Even if we're enemies, I'm not evil, you know? I'm human. A human with some regrets who chose another path, and who happened to own a fair amount of knowledge of what happens behind the scene.'

Kaiya stood in silence as Kouta prepared his bow and arrow.

'I apologise for what will come, Hinata-san.' She said quietly, 'I also chose my path.'

The deer perked its head out and it seemed to notice Jun. It took advantage of the moment when Jun cursed under his breath to sprint away in the bushes. The boy put his arrow away in his arrow sack and hurried after the deer. He didn't manage to take two steps forward.

'Attack!' A booming voice demanded, about fifty metres away. As he demanded, a man in his mid-20's or early 30's in a Konoha outfit and a headband resting over his dark brown hair.

'Hai, Fugaku-sama!' His two subordinates said, obediently.

Kaiya took a deep breath in. There was someone else in Konoha that bore a close smell like the man. Her brain refused to make any more connections.

Jun stood no chance. Not against the elite jonins. With just a few sharp (literally) just from the distance, Jun was dead, bleeding heavily from his throat. Seeing him dead, Fugaku called his subordinates to leave. Kaiya felt her eyes pulsing while her body quivered. _Why won't my body move..? _

'J... Jun...' She murmured, her voice croaky. 'Jun.'

She forced her muscles to cope with each other, eventually stumbling on her feet before hurrying to the boy, kneeling next to him. Her heart began beating like crazy as the air in her lungs didn't feel like enough, her lungs demanding for more as much and as fast as possible. The first resort she could find was to rip apart from her blouse and put it on Jun's wounds on his throat, only for it to be fully soaked in blood within moments.

'_Please don't die, please don't die, please don't die...'_ Kaiya kept chanting over and over.

'It's useless, I told you.' Hinata sighed as he appeared next to her. 'Your brother is long since dead. About... ten- no, almost eleven years to be exact.'

'_Shut up!' _Kaiya yelled, before her voice trailing off. Her eyes were stinging as tears fell down without ceasing. 'Jun is... _Jun is..._'

Kaiya covered her mouth with ones of her hands, at loss through the sobs. Her brother. Dead. Right before her eyes. By Konoha's hands. No, by Fugaku's hands, whoever the man was. When she was to return from this mission- _the mission. _

'_Let me out, goddammit!' _

Hinata puffed, obviously displeased. 'So be it.'

Kaiya's eyes went wide open as she gasped for air. She wasn't in the forest anymore, but back in the abandoned house. Her body was weakened considerably and it was then that Kaiya noticed that she wasn't where she thought she'd be. She wasn't by the kitchen door, but in a room upstairs, threads all around her body, stopping her from moving away. _Got stuck in your own trick, eh, Kaiya?_, she thought, ironically. The room wasn't lit by the sun anymore, but by a much dimmer, whiter light, which meant... it wasn't day anymore.

'They don't call me a master of genjustu for nothing.' Hinata sighed as he spun a kunai on his index finger while walking around Kaiya, before sitting himself on a dusty armchair facing Kaiya. 'Here's the deal. I don't have anything against you. You probably don't have anything against me, either. You just got send by those people to get rid of me and my potential. But I _might _have an idea that'll be beneficial for both of us.'

Kaiya bit her lip. He seemed like he had a way with words that made everything he said sounds reasonable.

'What is it?' Kaiya asked.

She didn't want to give in to the enemy, but she did want to hear what he had to say. It wasn't like she got anything better to do at that moment unless she came with a plan. Hinata hummed a pleased laugh.

'Well, let's see, Kaiya-san...' He said, thoughtfully, 'Here's what I think: I have my skills with replications, so I could make a replication of my head, which you can bring to Tsunade-sama. If you do that, I'll make sure nobody will hear of my name ever again. What do ya think?'

'Fine. I'll do that. Only if you free me first, otherwise I won't cooperate.'

Hinata chuckled. 'You really want something in return, don't you? I guess I should've expected that. I'm alright with it.'

Hinata got on his feet, spun the kunai one more time on his index, before cutting all the strings that held Kaiya down. Whatever happened now, she had to be careful now with her every step. As the man began walking down the hallway followed closely by Kaiya, he prepared carefully his next words.

'Say, Kaiya, you said you'd help me. For the replication justu, I'll need Angel's Trumpet, amongst other ingredients. It can be found around this house. Would you be kind enough to gather a handful?'

'I never agreed on doing the job for you.'

'Hm?' Hinata chuckled. 'Alright then. Although I would've preferred it fresh, I still have some in a box somewhere here...'

They went downstairs and, after a few minutes of search, Hinata found the box he looked for. It was filled almost exclusively with the flower Angel's Trumpet, among a few other flowers. In that time, Kaiya never let go of a kunai in her pocket. As the man began preparing the jutsu, Kaiya squinted her eyes in recognition. She knew the jutsu- Asura-san showed her the jutsu once and told her about it. It was a relatively easy thing to make, but it needed a lot of patience and plants. To put it simply, it was all about finding the necessary plants and patience for it. If you found it, it would almost be a child's play.

Even so, one needed practice and a bit of talent to make an exceptional work. As it turned out, Hinata didn't exaggerate when talking of his skills- a quite detailed version of his head was made in just half an hour. To be fair with herself, Kaiya wasn't eager to touch the head, even if it was fake. It had a surreal vibe that made sure anyone would keep a distance. Well, anyone except its creator- Hinata didn't mind one bit picking up the head, rolling it around in his hands, and checking all the seemingly disgusting details.

'I think it should do.' Hinata said, eventually. 'This head should last for about a year before starting to decompose. I'm pretty sure they'll forget about me at that time.'

Kaiya bit her lip as she considered for a moment. 'You know what, _screw this_.'

She got the kunai she was holding out of her pocket and attempted to land a few attacks, only for them all to be dodged at ease by Hinata. He grabbed her wrists, and it was enough for him to apply some chakra pressure for Kaiya to feel excruciating pain spreading all around her wrists. _Did he break her wrists...?_

'Almost,' Hinata smiled, as if reading her thought, 'but not broken. I used a bit of my chakra to pump into your own chakra flow and to affect it. It generally messes up the muscles where the prey is attacked for a while.'

Kaiya cursed under her breath as Hinata let his grip loose off her wrists. She felt the pain pulsing along with the blood that passed, only for her every move to make it worse by ten, maybe even a hundred, times. Hinata chuckled under his breath when he saw the girl frown.

'I'm sorry, Kaiya-san, but I lost my faith in Konoha a long time ago.'

Before she knew it, Kaiya was, again, stuck in a trap too familiar to her. Threads spread all around, rolling around her torso, neck and limbs, making sure that she wouldn't escape any way easily. Suddenly, the sharp end of a kunai pressed against Kaiya's neck. Kaiya tried to get her hands close to her weapon bag, but to no use.

'Perhaps... Perhaps we could've cooperated. But as it turns out, those people brainwashed you onto their side. A pity, honestly, but you were vulnerable and weak when you found them. Their small act of tolerance seemed to impress you enough to think they're worth it.'

Kaiya made another attempt at escaping by forcing the threads but to no use. Just when Hinata relaxed his kunai, he pressed it again, regaining composure. He still didn't know her exact strength and chances against him, but if he played his cards right, she didn't stand a chance.

'_You don't even know me!_ How dare you speak- eh...'

Hinata cracked a smile before breaking down in laughter, making Kaiya stop.

'Kaiya, why do you think that I was classed as a A-rank missing nin? The information I have, sure, it's all there, but was just a good excuse. What they actually fear is not information leaking, but my genjutsu. It so happens that I have a good convincing skill by using one's worst memory. How should I know one's worst memory if I don't know their other memories, eh?'

Kaiya's eyes widened in realisation. 'That means...'

'I've seen everything of you. All your memories, your thoughts, everything. A shame you must die like this, just like your filthy little brother...' He paused. 'At the mercy of others.'

'Don't talk of Jun like that!' Kaiya barked.

'One would say this is the right way to die as a shinobi, serving your country, but I think... Your grandfather would have a say in this.'

'My grandfather?' Kaiya frowned, taken aback by confusion. 'I never met him, sir. I wouldn't know.'

'Of course you didn't. He died long before you would come into existence. Have you ever heard of the White Fang of Konoha?'

Kaiya needed a moment before realisation. The White Fang was her father's father. She heard his mention a few times (The first time she actually cared about it was on the mission of rescuing the Kazekage, though) but she never really took a particular interest in learning about him.

'I... I think I heard of him, but I don't know much of him.'

'Well, I do, and we have time. Besides, I'm not really eager to kill you, so why not? The White Fang is a misunderstood hero, and I guess it's our responsibility as shinobi, comrades and well, family, to understand him.'

And so, Hinata took his time and told Kaiya everything about the genius called Sakumo Hatake. Everything starting from his childhood, his success and appreciation, his family, and well, his fall.

'Everyone, including his closest friends, disowned him. All, but one person- his son. He was probably too young to understand, anyway. In time, his mind deteriorated as it got eaten away by depression and he eventually committed suicide. Well, **seppukku*** if you want to be exact. His son was the one to find him.'

Kaiya breathed in sharply. Hinata's hands began trembling, as his eyes widened with a maddening look in them.

'_Sir...?_' Kaiya asked, hesitantly. If she were to die, so be it, but something in the man was clearly off.

'_I was his friend!_' He yelled, making Kaiya instinctively try to back away. '_I was his friend and I let him die!'_

Something in Kaiya's mind clicked and made a connection.

'Hinata-san... Were you on that mission with Sakumo-san?'

'I damn well was!' Hinata said, his voice now shaky, just like his body. 'He... He spared me and asked for nothing in return, and I... Just kill me already. I deserve it.'

Kaiya bit her lip as the man knelt down, tears starting to flow off his cheeks. His comrade was dead, he didn't dare face his comrade's son with that blood on his hands, this kid could be the right person. Judgement finally arrived.

'I... I couldn't stand the village anymore. It's places and people sickened me, the sight of children pressed the guilt upon me, I left for redemption, and I think finally found my judgement. I need to die by the blood I spilt.'

Kaiya looked down at the man and sighed lightly. 'So be it.'

She disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to appear in front of him seconds later, free of any threads.

'_Kage Bunshin...?_' Hinata murmured, surprised.

'Still a bit creaky, but yes, a Kage Bunshin.' Kaiya said as she got her tachi out.

Hinata lowered his head. 'Please.'

'I'm sorry, Hinata-san.'

'No, _I'm_ sorry.'

The first rays of dawn started to appear when Kaiya walked down the road from the abandoned house with a small, black bag in her hand. Long after his death, Hinata's words continued to ring in Kaiya's head, and would never cease to do so for as long as Kaiya would live.

That night, in that mission, a decision was made. Jun didn't die in vain. Neither did her grandfather. She would honour them by continuing to live and become the best she can become.

It was a late evening when Kaiya finally returned to her small apartment. As soon as she entered, she was greeted by the familiar spirit.

'Hi.' Kaiya greeted as she sat on a chair at the kitchen table. 'So you won't believe what happened. This is some A-rank mission, but you're dead. Most ghosts don't care enough to come back to life because of some mission, probably.'

The spirit shifted calmly to somewhere in front of her, at the other side of the table.

'Ok, so I was sent to assassinate some dude, right? His name's Hinata Hamura. No problem, I'll do it. That's what I thought, but wait!'

Hearing the name, Kaiya felt the tensity in the air.

'Oh, you know him? Let me tell ya the story, hold up. So he left the village a few months ago, and the village wanted him dead. I found where he was hiding, and, well... stuff happened, but I'll get to the important part. So, my grandfather's the White Fang -you might have heard of him- and as it turns out, this dude was his teammate on some mission where he saved them. The mission caused a lot of trouble and the White Fang committed suicide.'

As she talked, the spirit stopped shifting and the air felt tense. Kaiya didn't mind, though. Ghosts are like that.

'Now here's the twist: He didn't leave Konoha to betray it, oh no, no, no. Not at all. The guilt of letting his comrade die caught up to him and Konoha sickened him. He said something how kids would send guilt trips. I guess they made him think of the White Fang's son.'

A crack appeared in the air's tension.

'He left Konoha to well, seek for forgiveness and to atone his guilt. Forgiveness never came, and his guilt remained the same. He got to the point where the only right judgement for him was death. But his comrade was dead, he couldn't face his comrade's son... I guess I was just the answer to his prayers of death.'

The tension remained for just a few more moments, before eventually cracking down. It disappeared as soon as it appeared, along with the spirit.

***seppukku: **A suicide that requires some sort of ritual in which the person who will commit suicide will slit their stomach open with a sword.

**A/N**

**Hello everyone! Avery here. This is the longest chapter I wrote, with 5.9K of words. Tbh I really had fun writing this and I personally found it interesting to dive in a bit more in Sakumo's story, since we got a bare minimum of information. To be honest, I feel like there's so much more to discover about his story that Kishimoto didn't look into, so I decided to look into it myself with some headcanons.**

**See you all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	12. 12 Reprercussions

'Congratulations on your last mission.' Tsunade said, 'When are you available for another mission?'

'Whenever.' Kaiya answered. 'Isn't there any A-ranks or B-ranks left available?'

Tsunade shook her head. 'No, they're all done, thanks to you. There are only some S-rank, but I have some ANBU and Tokubetsu Jonins to take care of them.'

It's been a few weeks, maybe a month and a half since Kaiya became a jonin and her proficiency showed in no time- she completed mission after mission and whenever she was at home, she trained. It was like she forgot how to rest, and it showed. Well, in multiple ways; Bags started to grow under her eyes (although she did make a point in hiding them with some concealer), and her skills grew sharper by all means. Her ninjutsu was great, her taijutsu was excellent and so was her weaponry. With the help of Aunt Tsume, her senses became sharper than a dog's.

Kaiya nodded. 'I see.'

'Is there anything else I can do for you?'

'Actually... yes. I have a request.'

'Hm, a request?' Tsunade frowned. 'What is it?'

'I want to join the ANBU.'

'The... _The ANBU_? ' Tsunade repeated, incredulously. 'Don't you think it's a bit early to-'

'Ma'am, I know my capabilities. I can learn fast. Please consider my request.'

For a few moments, silence filled the office.

'I'll think about it.'

'Thank you.'

And with that, Kaiya turned around and left a confused Hokage, their assistant and a small pig alone. Tsunade sighed.

'I'm worried, Shizune. Ever since she arrived, she skipped along with the ranks faster than anyone I saw. I mean, she has the capabilities, I don't say, but still. The ANBU might be too much for now.'

'I see your point, Tsunade-sama. But she became really ambitious after her first assassination. Something happened there that we don't know of.'

Tsunade played with a pen for a while, absently. 'Who was her first assassination? Bring me their file.'

Shizune obeyed and brought a file immediately. 'She killed Hinata Hamura.'

Tsunade opened the file and looked across the information. Nothing special until... Something caught her eyes.

**Background information:**

**Often worked with Sakumo Hatake. Was his subordinate on ****Sakumo's last mission.**

Tsunade cursed under her breath as she smacked her forehead. It all made sense now.

'He told her everything, then?' Tsunade asked.

'You mean she didn't know?' Shizune frowned.

'I doubt anyone bothered to tell her anything on the matter. Kakashi's Kakashi and other people... well.' Tsunade sighed as she closed the file. 'I just hope she won't get any funny ideas. The last thing we need now is another enemy.'

Shizune nodded. 'We already have enough trouble with the Akatsuki. What will you do about her request, though?'

'I don't know.'

If the girl remained just as ambitious, Tsunade would have no choice but, to be fair, she didn't see her fitting in the ANBU. Kaiya needed bonds, she knew that for sure, but the ANBU requested the exact opposite. To be devoted to your job and have minimalistic ties. To put it simply, an ANBU had to depend on no one but themselves and their job. Well, no one expected the way things ended- maybe it was for the better that they ended that way.

Kaiya walked down the Konoha streets to the Training Grounds, her hands in her pockets, in the search for someone, until she eventually found them. Surprisingly, they were accompanied by someone who Kaiya didn't expect to see. Funnily, her nose didn't pick their smell immediately. Neither his nor his dog's smell.

'Hey Lee, you up for a match?' Kaiya called out.

The boy turned around, only for a smile to grow on his face. Next to him, Kiba frowned as an Akamaru let out a bark.

'Sure thing!' Lee answered, as Kaiya arrived in front of him.

'Since when do you guys train together?' Kiba asked.

'Don't be stupid, we're on the same team.' Kaiya snorted. 'What do you think?'

Kiba puffed in annoyance as he muttered something under his breath. Unluckily for him, even if her smell wasn't working well at that moment, her ears still picked up well.

'What was that, you little shit?'

'You're pale. Don't push it.' Kiba said, in a now normal voice.

Kaiya pursed her lips, before assuring the boy that she won't- it was unusual for him to express stuff like that. Before walking away, he stopped right next to her.

'I think Lee likes you. He smells funny.' He muttered.

'What do you mean?' Kaiya asked, keeping her voice low.

'When he saw you, he started to smell a little... _hormonal_, if you know what I mean.'

'Don't be sill- _oh shit_ you're right. He stinks.'

'Take care.' Kiba patted her back, before walking away along Akamaru.

'What was that all about?' Lee asked, with a frown.

'Nothing.' Kaiya shook her head. 'Shall we?'

Lee nodded as he prepared for an attack. The whole situation gave off a weird feeling now, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. For all she could see, maybe he was just happy to see her. Dammit, that sounded wrong now.

Before he even realised, Kaiya dissapeared. He tensed as he searched for a kunai, but he didn't get a chance. A hand covered the back of his head, pushing him to the ground. He stretched his hands out and got a grip on the enemy with his legs, blocking them from the ability of escaping. For the moment, that is.

They both hit the ground with their backs, only for Kaiya to dissapear in a cloud of smoke. Lee frowned. _A Kage Bunshin...? Just like Naruto-kun's!_

'Wind release: Blade of Wind!'

A sudden, strong sharp wave of wind came to Lee in all directions, before something grabbing his wrists as the wind stopped. When he came to his senses, Lee realised what was happening: His hands were stuck, held by Kaiya, as he looked straight into the girl's eyes. He was at loss of words and actions for a few more moments, before eventually regaining composure.

As for Kaiya, she held him down with no problem, but only if he knew. Her hands started feeling numb, the gravity seemed to lighten terribly as her head felt like a boulder into space.

Lee jumped in the air and hit her chin, sending her a few meters away flying. If it wasn't for her current physical condition, she would've won. But seeing her condition now, the chakra loss and the hit were enough to make her zone out to the point of nearly fainting.

'Low on calcium, low on magnesium and lived on three hours of sleep on over a month, after doing about twenty missions one after the other? Just incredible, miss Kobayashi! Just... _Incredible_.' The nurse, Kenta, said baffled as she read the report.

Kaiya laughed dryly. After two shots of calcium and currently on her second bag of perfusion, she was still laying on the hospital bed, feeling how all the exhaustion she gathered catched up to her. Next to her, Lee sat baffled. He knew the girl went on lots of missions, but he didn't expect the situation to be this bad.

He brought her to the hospital earlier that day and he stuck next to her ever since. It brought some memories, yes, but he wasn't there for the memories- Kaiya's health was much more important.

'You seriously need to rest and take care of yourself, miss Kobayashi. I'll inform Lady Hokage about this immediately. A weakened shinobi is of no use, after all.'

'How can she get better?' Lee butted in, worryingly. 'What do you prescribe, miss?'

Kaiya frowned. He remembered her a bit of her mother, and for goodness' sake; she was nearly eighteen. She could- no, should be able to handle things like that on her own. Nurse Kenta sighed.

'I'll prescribe some magnesium and vitamin C pills, eat lots of cheese and other lactose foods, fruits and, most importantly, rest. Rest as much as you can.'

Kaiya nodded with a frown. She guessed she had no choice. If she wanted to be in the ANBU, she needed top condition.

'When may I leave?'

'Not now, definitely. I talked with other doctors and here's the thing- you're still not fully stable. We'll keep you until you finish that perfusion. We'll see what we do from there.'

Finishing that perfusion lasted longer than anyone expected. It was already evening when Kaiya got the new perfusion, so by the time it was finished, it was 2 am and Kaiya was long since asleep.

'You should go home, y'know,' Kenta told Lee, who was still there, his eyelids fighting the heaviness layed on them. 'I'll take her perfusion off, but I'll make sure I won't wake her up now, so she can sleep well. Until morning, at least.'

'C... Can't I stay?' Lee mumbled. 'I want... I want to... make sure... she's alright. To make sure she's alright.'

'Don't worry,' Kenta sighed, 'she's on good hands. It's my and my colleagues' job to make sure she's fine.'

Lee turned his head to Kaiya and reached for her hand. After a few moments, he let go and got on his feet. Slowly, he made his way towards the door. As he passed by Kenta, he stopped.

'Please take care of her. She's an important person to me. I... I don't know what I would do without her.'

Kenta cracked a smile. 'Don't worry. She'll be in a much better state tomorrow, just you see.'

'Low on calcium, low on magnesium and lived on three hours of sleep on over a month, after doing about twenty missions one after the other? Just incredible, miss Kobayashi! Just... _Incredible_.' The nurse, Kenta, said baffled as she read the report.

Kaiya laughed dryly. After two shots of calcium and currently on her second bag of perfusion, she was still laying on the hospital bed, feeling how all the exhaustion she gathered catched up to her. Next to her, Lee sat baffled. He knew the girl went on lots of missions, but he didn't expect the situation to be this bad.

He brought her to the hospital earlier that day and he stuck next to her ever since. It brought some memories, yes, but he wasn't there for the memories- Kaiya's health was much more important.

'You seriously need to rest and take care of yourself, miss Kobayashi. I'll inform Lady Hokage about this immediately. A weakened shinobi is of no use, after all.'

'How can she get better?' Lee butted in, worryingly. 'What do you prescribe, miss?'

Kaiya frowned. He remembered her a bit of her mother, and for goodness' sake; she was nearly eighteen. She could- no, should be able to handle things like that on her own. Nurse Kenta sighed.

'I'll prescribe some magnesium and vitamin C pills, eat lots of cheese and other lactose foods, fruits and, most importantly, rest. Rest as much as you can.'

Kaiya nodded with a frown. She guessed she had no choice. If she wanted to be in the ANBU, she needed top condition.

'When may I leave?'

'Not now, definitely. I talked with other doctors and here's the thing- you're still not fully stable. We'll keep you until you finish that perfusion. We'll see what we do from there.'

Finishing that perfusion lasted longer than anyone expected. It was already evening when Kaiya got the new perfusion, so by the time it was finished, it was 2 am and Kaiya was long since asleep.

'You should go home, y'know,' Kenta told Lee, who was still there, his eyelids fighting the heaviness layed on them. 'I'll take her perfusion off, but I'll make sure I won't wake her up now, so she can sleep well. Until morning, at least.'

'C... Can't I stay?' Lee mumbled. 'I want... I want to... make sure... she's alright. To make sure she's alright.'

'Don't worry,' Kenta sighed, 'she's on good hands. It's my and my colleagues' job to make sure she's fine.'

Lee turned his head to Kaiya and reached for her hand. After a few moments, he let go and got on his feet. Slowly, he made his way towards the door. As he passed by Kenta, he stopped.

'Please take care of her. She's an important person to me. I... I don't know what I would do without her.'

Kenta cracked a smile. 'Don't worry. She'll be in a much better state tomorrow, just you see.'

'Enter.' Tsunade said.

It was still eight in the morning, and, although she came to her office two hours ago, the coffee effects had yet to kick in. Through the doors, a nurse, Kenta, made her way to her office and bowed.

'Lady Hokage, I have a report.'

'Did anybody die, again?' Tsunade asked, insensitively.

Kenta shook her head as she rised from her bow.

'No, ma'am it's something else. We have a Jounin patient, Kaiya Kobayashi, that was low on calcium and Magnesium, and had a between conscious and unconcious state due to exhaustion.'

Tsunade pursed her lips as she exchanged looks with Shizune.

'How is she doing now?' Tsunade asked.

'She's better, but she'll need some rest. This is why I came. Cases like this aren't unusual and they usually happen from focusing on something for too long, overworking and exhaustion, or being overweight. I think that for her, it was overworking and exhaustion. She'll need to rest for at least two weeks, until she fully recovers. Even after, she shouldn't push it.'

Tsunade nodded. 'I'll take care of it, don't worry.'

When Kenta said that Kaiya would be in a better state the next day, she wasn't lying, but Kaiya's body did make a point in sleeping until noon. Slowly but surely, she eventually came to her senses, only to be greeted by the smell of flowers. Kaiya turned around to see a rather large boquet of flowers resting on her night stand. A creaking announced the door opening.

'I see that you finally woke up. It was about time, but I don't blame you.' Kenta commented as she leaned on the doorway. 'I would've not been surprised if you'd slept more.'

Seeing how Kaiya wasn't interested, Kenta decided to change the subject.

'That's a nice bouquet you got there. Your boyfriend brought them to you this morning, at the first hour. Boy sat with you even after you fell asleep. Took a bit, but I finally convinced him to go and get some rest, at two in the morning.'

'My... _ah_.' Kaiya stopped, in realisation. 'He's not my-'

'Speaking of which,' Kenta interrupted, as she looked down the hallway, 'he's on his way here.'

Just a few moments later, Lee entered the room with a basket of fruit. Seeing that Kaiya woke up, a grin creaked on his face. At his sight, Kaiya put a hand over her mouth as she looked away. _God dammit, nurse Kenta._

'Good morning, Kaiya-san.' He greeted, with a light bow. 'I brought you something.'

He layed the basket on the night stand, before sitting down on the chair next to her bed. Kenta chuckled lightly, realising her mistake through Kaiya's embarrassment.

'Well,' Kenta said, 'seeing that you woke up, I'll inform the other doctors and I'll bring you some food. You could serve yourself from those fruits, they could help.'

And with that, the woman spinned around on her heels and walked away, closing the door behind.

'So how do you feel? Were you able to rest?' Lee asked, fixing Kaiya with his eyes.

'I'm fine and yes, I did rest. I feel a bit better now, but I'm still tired.'

'You're still in need of a break, Kaiya-san. You didn't listen to me when I told you to do so, and now look where we are.'

'Are you going to drop that _-san_ thing already? You sound like my mother scolding me.'

Lee sighed. 'I'm worried, y'know... I just... Nevermind.'

'You just what? It's too late now.'

'It's not important... Kaiya.'

Kaiya shrugged. 'So be it.'

After a few moments of silence, Lee couldn't hold it in anymore.

'I just want to make sure you're fine. I... eh, I don't know what I would do if you wouldn't be alright.'

Kaiya smiled warmly, with a light sigh.

'Thank you for worrying, Lee. It's nice to know someone here cares for me like that.'

The boy's heart skipped a beat as his cheeks warmed up. If it wasn't Kenta who'd enter with a gray tray on with a plate with some meat and potato puree, a glass of water, a napkin, cutlery and two pills, things might've not ended with that. To be fair, he was glad it ended like that.

'Eat up the meal, after that, you should take those pills.' Kenta informed, pointing to two white pills in a corner.

Kaiya nodded, understandingly. She didn't waste any more time and digged into the food. It didn't take long to realise that the food tasted good. To be fair, the food the hospital offered was quite decent and Kaiya was quite hungry. After all, hunger always plays a role when eating. The hungrier you are, the better food tastes. Kenta looked at the girl before sighing as she leaned on to the doorway.

'I think you're good to go. I'll finish a few things on your report, and then you're free. Remember, rest well, eat lots of calcium and magnesium, take some calcium and magnesium pills for two or three weeks... Or we'll know.'

Just a short half hour later, Kaiya was free to go. To be fair, she still felt a little dizzy at times and the warmth of October didn't help, so she didn't oppose when Lee offered to walk her home. Before she knew it, she was laying herself in bed, Lee laying next to her, with a distance between.

'You don't have to sit here, y'know... I'll be fine.'

'You're anything but fine, Kaiya.' Lee commented, bluntly. 'I want to make sure you'll get better. Now, I'm going to sit here and make sure you fall asleep. After, I'll think and prepare something for you to eat for dinner.'

This boy was unbelievable.

'Since when did you become a gentleman?'

Lee shrugged.

'I simply care about you, Kaiya. I want to make sure you're alright.'

'Thank you, Lee.'

She closed her eyes and relaxed and waited for things like that to come and happen the way they did, eventually- naturally. Lee layed next to her quietly, careful not to make any move that might wake her up. Soon enough, her breathing regulated to slow, deep breaths as her body lost any tensity that might've still held. _She was asleep._

Even if Lee got his normal amount of five hours of sleep at night and just the right meals that day, the peaceful dizziness of the room, the chirping of the birds through the quietness and the first golden rays of afternoon running through the small, rectangular windows aboven Kaiya's bed send a wave of sleepiness upon Lee. Everything felt peaceful, Kaiya was safe right next to him, and he was sitting comfortably with no actual worries on his mind. He guessed he could close his eyes for a bit...

He layed himself on a side, facing Kaiya and, before he could think much of it, his hand curled around Kaiya's body, resting on her stomach. As he pulled himself closer to the girl, Kaiya woke up for a moment. _It's Lee_, she thought as sleep still frizzled through her mind, _he's a good guy. I... I can trust him._

It wasn't a lie; he cared about her. He cared her in a way he never thought he'd care for someone. He felt like... he felt like she was a precious being that he needed to protect. He couldn't name it for sure, but it was, perhaps, what many named love. He sighed as he creaked a smile, his warm breath landing on Kaiya's neck. If it was love, then...

He loved her.

He loved her only so, so much.

**A/N**

**Yeetus Deletus, here we are with another chapteritus! Does it have fluff? I guess you can say that. Is it the first time I ever wrote something of the sort? Yes. On a lighter note, what did y'all think of this chapter?**

**_Avery, how do you know about what's it like to be low on calcium and magnesium?_**

**I have my knowledge, but I don't feel like sharing. Deal with it, dingus. Anyhow, I'll leave this author's note here, and we'll see eachother again in the next chapter! See y'all!**

**-Avery**


	13. 13 Wolf

Kaiya opened her eyes with a smile on her face as Lee's smell surrounded her. It was night outside, but she couldn't complain much. This was the best sleep she got in quite some time. It was moments later when she came more into her senses that she became more aware of her surroundings. A warm breath was hitting softly and quietly the back of her neck as an arm rested on her torso and stomach. Weirdly, the arm and well, the presence itself behind her gave her a feeling of calm and safety. She rised her head a little fo investigate further.

'Go back to sleep... Kaiya-chan...' A faint mumble said, behind her.

Behind her, Lee was long since asleep. Kaiya frowned._ Chan...? Now he's pushing it too far!_

'Please don't adress me with _-chan_.' She said, calmly.

'Why...?'

Kaiy pursed her lips a little.

'It makes me uncomfortable.' She admitted.

'Ok then. Is just Kaiya alright?'

'Yeah.' Kaiya hummed as she layed back down. 'It's fine.'

'Hn.'

Kaiya made herself back comfortable and allowed her hand to lay on Lee's hand, responding to his hug through a light grip. She didn't find herself attracted to the boy in a physical way, but that hug he offered was something that she needed the most at that moment. The hug wasn't sexual in any way- it was simply a comfronting hug between one willing to protect and love and someone in only so much need of love. Kaiya pushed herself back, deepening herself in the boy's grasp. For a moment, he gasped for air as he woke up, only for his arm's grip ro tighten around her and his breath to become louder, ringing right next to her ear.

Lee smiled as he now fully awoke, becoming more aware of what was happening. The girl who avoided getting touched or being personal gave her consent a hug that had them glued to eachother. Lee considered what to do, and decided- As long as she was ok with it, he wouldn't let go. If she became uncomfortable, he would simply back away, make some space and let her be.

'Are you hungry?' Lee asked.

_Good question_, Kaiya thought. She was hardly hungry when she was still half-asleep.

'No... I'm not.' Kaiya hummed as she turned around to look at the boy. He was in no better state- his eyes were hardly open, now being two, white long lines with a black dot in the middle. Meanwhile, his short hair was anything but sitting properly. 'What about you?'

'I had something for dinner. I brought you some as well, if you want. If you don't want it now, maybe you'll like it for breakfast...'

'What did you bring?' Kaiya asked, with interest.

'Eh... Yakisoba.'

'That sounds good.' Kaiya mumbled, as she closed her eyes. 'I'll eat it in the morning.'

It didn't take long before they both fell asleep again. The next day, morning moved swiftly along, followed quickly by noon. As he walked around the market, waiting for his team to arrive, Lee couldn't help but notice an odd out of character behaviour in a particular boy and his dog.

He closed the distance between him and the boy, and analysed what he was looking at- a stand with various weaponry.

'Kiba-kun, what are you doing?'

Kiba sighed, rubbing his forehead.

'I don't know Lee, honestly.'

'You don't know what weapon you want?'

'It would be a much easier job to do if it was for me, honestly.' Kiba laughed dryly. 'But they're not for me.'

'Hm? Please elaborate.'

'Kaiya's birthday is coming up soon, on the first of November. I want to get her something, but I don't know what.'

'First of November... that's three weeks away!'

Kiba breathed in sharply, in realisation. _He might've just bumped into the right person!_

'Lee, you're on the same team as Kaiya. You must know more about her. What does she like?'

'Er... um... training and missions! She's on those alot.'

Kiba mumbled under his breath. 'Ok, anything more precise? Something that we could actually buy?'

'Um... I'm not sure.'

'Then we have two problems, Lee. A gift for Kaiya and your lack of attention.'

'My... my lack of attention?' Lee asked, feeling his heart drop.

'Yeah. You spend so much time with her, yet you don't know something only so trivial as what she likes and dislikes! I'm dissapointed, really.'

Lee bit his lip, in silence.

'Let me tell you a secret. You know what dissapoints me even more?' Kiba asked, as he leaned over to Lee's ear. 'That you have the audacity to have a crush on her with such little knowledge about her.'

Lee felt himself freezing in his tracks.

'N... No, that's not what... how do you know? Kaiya doesn't know that.' He murmured. 'I told no one...!'

'Kaiya suspects it, but I know it for sure. You stink of having a crush. Kaiya deserves better than this. If you don't do an effort and actually get to know her, you should give up any chances you might have.'

'Oi, Lee!'

They turned around to see Team Guy heading towards them, nonchalantly. It didn't take long to figure out that the one who called for Lee was none other than Kaiya. Kiba smirked to Lee knowingly, before turning around and left. Lee shook his head. He had to get to know Kaiya better... _He had to fix this! _

'I really want to go and train.' Kaiya told Tenten as they walked down the Konoha streets with their team.

'You should rest for a bit, you heard the doctors.' The girl responded. 'You worked really hard lately, so you deserve a break.'

'Yeah. Maybe you're right.' Kaiya sighed. 'Lady Hokage said there weren't any A-rank or B-ranks left, anyway.'

Neji hesitated for a few moments on what he wanted to say, before eventually proceeding. 'You've been moving along the ranks quickly. People have been talking about it lately.'

'Oh really?' Kaiya chuckled. 'What might they be saying?'

'It's mostly about how there was hardly someone who ranked up so fast. Hardly anyone since, well... Since your father and Itachi Uchiha.'

'Itachi Uchiha?'

'Eh, y'know... Sasuke's older brother.' Tenten said, hesitantly. 'He killed his entire family except for Sasuke before becoming a rogue in the Akatsuki.'

Kaiya frowned as the group grew quiet. Sasuke's fate wasn't so different from his brother's nowadays, but... Something caught her attention.

'Why didn't he kill Sasuke?' She asked.

Tenten shrugged as she put her hands behind her neck. 'Who knows? Wouldn't really try to find out either. I can live without the information.'

'Same here,' Neji said. 'Sometimes, it's better not to know some things, Kaiya. Really.'

Kaiya nodded. 'Yeah.'

She understood what the boy meant and she guessed she could relate to some degree- she could've lived just fine without witnessing her brother's last moments alive. Maybe..maybe she would've not felt so guilty all over again. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath in recollection.

'Let's not think too deeply about it,' she said, looking at her team. 'Whatever happened to the Uchiha clan is a tragedy, but we're not Uchiha, and neither did we commit that crime, so it isn't like the problem lays on us to resolve it. It'll cause more problems all over again.'

She wasn't wrong, but without her knowing, a particular ghost of the Uchiha was touched by her words as she accidentally heard the conversation. As the team walked further away down the street, Mikoto watched the girl carefully. If that's truly her way of judgement, she might truly come around her judgemental hierarchy as a Hatake. Her husband told her everything about it- he should know everything on the matter first-handedly.

Just a week later, Kaiya was in a much better shape, and was better rested. After returning from a B-rank infiltration mission, Kaiya was requested in the Hokage's mission by emergency. Kaiya didn't know what to expect, but she hoped it would have answers to her requests.

'Good afternoon, Kaiya.' Tsunade greeted as Kaiya entered her office. 'How are you doing?'

'I'm alright, thank you for asking. What about you?' Kaiya asked, as she bowed down.

'I'm good.' Tsunade smiled. 'How was the mission?'

'The village is safe. I took care of all threats.'

'Good, good. I wanted to talk to you about your request of becoming ANBU.'

_Finally!_, Kaiya thought.

'I decided to accept. However, I give you one more chance to look upon it and make sure you want to do it. You must realise, of course all the risks that come when becoming ANBU, of course.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

'The chances of you dying will be much higher than an ordinary or Tokubetsu Jonin, and you'll have to hide your identity while on missions. You may absolutely not, under any circumstances, let emotions push you to act on your own. Do you understand what I'm saying, Kaiya?'

'Yes, ma'am.'-

'Kid, I'm worried!' Tsunade snapped. 'That first mission you had as an Jounin, I should've given a different one, It screwed you up-'

Kaiya sighed. 'Tsunade-sama, don't worry. I know my capabilities. I can do it.'

Tsunade hesitated for a few moments, before eventually forcing herself into accepting the girl's choice. 'So be it, then. You should, as an ANBU, choose a stage name, usually of an animal. Any preference?'

Kaiya thought for a few moments.

'Yes. I would like to be named Ookami.'

Tsunade puffed lightly, in amusement. 'A pun?'

Kaiya smiled.

'Yes, a pun.'

Tsunade pulled out a porcelain wolf-like mask painted in beautiful models.

'Welcome, Wolf. Good luck.'

Kaiya breathed in in an attempt to calm herself down before the grey door in the Main Building. She was carrying a carton box with various weapons, a spare mask, and a small first-aid kit, just like Tsunade asked her to. When she brought herself to a calmer state, she put her hand on the doorknob and opened the doorknob. As she pushed the door open, a dozen heads turned around, some with masks on and some without, shooting her cold curious looks. For a moment, Kaiya felt how everyone in the room became much taller and stronger than her, giving her a feeling how she was powerless.

'Hello,' Kaiya said, trying to keep her composure against the imposing looks. 'I'm Kaiya Kobayashi and from today, I'll be working with you all.'

The tensity in the air lightened noticeably, as most people turned around and returned to their conversations.

'Hey, you're Kakashi's kid, right?' Someone with a weasel mask asked as he approaced her.

'Eh... Yes.' Kaiya answered.

'You know what happened to your grandfather? Sakumo Hatake?'

'I... I heard.'

'Be careful not to do the same.' The man said patting her back, before leaving her alone.

Kaiya remained still for a few moments. What did he mean by that? Should she avoid commiting suicide or avoid saving her comrades...? She looked at a small piece of paper with her locker number on it that layed on the top of her box. 58. Locker 58. She took a few steps ahead, only to be stopped yet again by someone grabbing her wrist. She turned around, thinking of the possibility of the weasel man coming to explain himself, only to see someone else, with sand haired ponytail and a cat mask. The person removed their mask, only to reveal a young woman's face that wore a bittersweet smile. At her sight, Kaiya nearly choked on air.

'A..Akira-san?' She asked. 'You're in the ANBU, too?'

'Hi Kaiya,' Akira greeted, sheepishly. 'Sorry about Yuto earlier, the one with the weasel mask that stopped you earlier. Sakumo-san is a sensitive subject for him, and you might have accidentally triggered it.'

Kaiya shrugged. 'I didn't mean it. If my existence triggers him, it's not my fault, Akira-san.'

'Oh yeah, you can call me by my real name, Asumi.'

'Your... Your real name?' Kaiya frowned.

'Yeah. I... This might sound weird, but it was all in the name of the village, okay? The Third wanted to ensure safety.'

'What was? Just tell me already.' Kaiya demanded as the feeling of irritation began to grow inside her, without realising that she managed to get a few heads turn her way.

'I was in the ANBU when you first arrived here. I was send to investigate your behaviour and the risks of you being a threat for Konoha.'

Kaiya felt her breath block. All of the quiet conversations and ambiental sounds of people walking around and checking their lockers couldn't reach Kaiya's ears anymore. The air began warming up as Kaiya's eyes fixed on Akira. _Threath for Konoha...? Spy? _

'Kaiya? Kaiya!' Akira said, worryingly as she shook the girl's shoulder. From what it seemed, the girl had some sort of panic attack.

'Don't... touch me. Don't touch me.' Kaiya murmured, pushing off Akira's hand off her. 'What's your name? Your real name.'

'Asumi. Minamoto Asumi.'

Kaiya didn't say anything for a while. Eventually, she looked Asumi in the eye, her eyes calm as if nothing happened.

'Thank you for telling me this, Asumi-san.'

Kaiya turned around and left the woman alone, in the small crowd of people. With her thoughts storming her mind like tornado, she managed to find the locker assigned to her and began placing her belongings into the locker. It was a weird moment in which she zoned out completely. Slowly, her anger vanished little by little. She remained zoned out, until she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Behind her, a hesitant-looking frail boy with short, fluffy dark hair was looking at her.

'Hello,' he greeted.

'Hi,' Kaiya answered, with a light narrow of her eyebrows. 'Can I help you?'

'No, um, look. I don't know what happened between you and Asumi, but I just wanted to say welcome in, y'know, the ANBU. Congratulations for entering.'

Kaiya relaxed as she couldn't help but smile. She straightened her back and she turned around to fully face the boy.

'Thanks! I'm Kaiya, but you might have heard it earlier. What's your name?'

'I'm Tora. Yoshitsune Tora. But I also go by Owl. See?' He pulled out his ANBU mask, which had the form of an owl.

'Well, nice to meet you, Tora-san.' Kaiya said, stretching her hand.

The boy returned her smile as he shook her hand.

'Can I help you with your locker there?' Tora asked, pointing at her locker.

'Oh, it's alright, thank you. I actually finished right as you came.'

Tora nodded. For a few moments, neither of them said anything. He knew he should leave, there was nothing left to say. Actually, he wanted to say something, but...

'What's wrong?' Kaiya asked. She didn't know what, but he hesitated on something.

'I, eh... I wanted to ask you something but it might be too early to ask.'

'Shoot.' Kaiya pursed her lips. _How bad could it be?_

'Um, are you free later today?'

Kaiya's eyebrows rised, forming two furry semicircles. _A date?_ Seeing her surprise, Tora paniced in a most obvious way- his face turned red as he began breathing rapidly.

'You... You don't have to, if you don't want to. We just met, so if you feel like you want to get to know me better before, y'know, it's fine by me. I totally understand.'

'Thanks, Tora. Actually, I was thinking of coming. I don't have any plans, either, and I get to know you better.'

A large smile rised on Tora's face like never before. 'Great! Um... Then, is it good if we meet at six pm, in front of the main building?'

'Sure, sounds good by me.' Kaiya shrugged.

**A/N**

**What is up, my dudes? Here we are with another chapter of this book! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you thought of it. Spill all your tea on the matter. All of it.**

**Anyway, something I forgot to mention in the earlier chapters is how I finished Naruto some time ago, so it's all ride or die now. No excuses unless further notice (as in health, school, unexpected incidents, etc). No, I'm not going to follow a schedule. I'm going to be honest with y'all lot, I can't follow that thing, no matter what. So here's the deal- I'll post as often as possible. If it's an extremely long period of time without posting, make sure to check my board. I'll say something about it, and if I don't, I'll let y'all know what happened ASAP.**

**Next on the list, I'm planning on writing an Attack on Titan fanfiction. You see, in the time after I finished Naruto, I moved onto an anime I wanted to watch for a long time- Attack on Titan. I finished it in 2,5 weeks and hell, I really love that show. Now I'm rolling with BNHA but that's another story. My point is, If you want to read an AOT fanfic (by me), expect one sometime soon. I'll keep y'all posted on it.**

**_*checks list*_**** Yeah, so I think this is all I have to say for now. If you want to talk about AOT and spill some theories, come to me. For the record, I don't read the manga, so if you're a manga reader, no spoilers please. **

**See y'all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	14. 14 A visit

After she entered the ANBU, the number of assassinations doubled up, and the infiltrations and syonagess tripled. The moments of her being near death became an casualty, coming with each mission. It wasn't hard to catch up to the ANBU etiquette- a bit slow but surely, Kaiya grew colder towards the sight of blood and the idea of killing grew accustoming, but she still couldn't stand seeing people dying. It was never a nice sight to see people giving their last breath, even lesser when you must force it to hurry.

Sometimes, killing was easier when you were with someone by your side. In one of those times, Kaiya was on a rather long assassination and infiltration mission with Owl, an ANBU member just one year older than her. His real name was Tora, but just like his nickname suggested, he wore an owl mask.

As they were sitting in the bushes one night, looking at their targets who were in a rich-looking house, Kaiya turned to Owl, catching his attention, before beginning to tap her fingers and making various hand signs. Any ordinary person would find it odd, but an expert would recognise the action immediately- Japanese Sign Language. Tora focused on what his teammate signed. _When will we strike?_

_Wait for them to fall asleep_, he responded. _We'll strike better then._

Kaiya nodded. It was already pretty late, so it shouldn't take long before they would fall asleep. They already gathered enough information to know what would await them. The ones who they had to kill were two feudal lords from the land of Waves. The two broke some promises to the land of Fire during the Third Great Shinobi War, and they had yet to make up and pay for them. Luckily for Kaiya and Tora, the two were already pretty old and lacked, for sure, skills in battle. Their only major problem would be the guards.

They were right- in just half an hour later, the lights were off. _They're asleep_, Tora signed, _I can feel it in their chakra_. One of Tora's greatest skills was chakra sensing- something usual for his family, led by chakra sensors.

'Let's go.' Kaiya murmured, before taking a deep breath in. 'There are two guards at the entrance. Am I right?'

'_Hn_. They suppress their chakra, but I can sense a bit of it leaking through the genjutsu. It means there's a lot of if in both.'

'Let me take care of it. Can you cover my chakra?'

Tora nodded. He activated the jutsu and, after giving her a sign of approval, Kaiya jumped in a tree, before moving another two or three trees around the house, bringing herself closer to the guards at the entrance. She knelt down a little to get a better view, careful not to be seen. The guards were tired- it was no rocket science to notice. Who knew when they last got proper rest. Kaiya smirked to herself as she grabbed carefully four needles out of her bag, two with a transparent liquid and two with a pale yellow liquid at their edges. She aimed one of each at the guards.

Within a second, the needles planted themselves in the guards' throats. For a moment, the guards looked at each other for a few moments in confusion, before falling on the ground unconscious. Kaiya jumped and landed between them. She looked at the guards for a bit as she took back her needles.

'Poisoned needles?' Tora asked, making himself present next to Kaiya. 'Smart as always, my dear.'

'Only two of them were poisoned, not all. Two are instant sleep needles, and the other two are poisoned. Even though they're asleep now, they should die in five minutes or less, if there's no antidote given.'

'Hopefully, they didn't plan this happening. Let's go.'

Luckily, the front door was weakly locked. With just a single forceful kick, the lock broke, letting the door open with a light creaking sound, revealing a dark hallway. Kaiya turned her head to Tora and exchanged looks for a second, before proceeding in the dark with her hand on her tachi, ready to pull it out at any given moment.

Nothing happened as they walked until they reached a wooden, spiral stairway. _Let's go_, Kaiya signed, without turning around.

'Hn.' Tora hummed,

Kaiya took a careful step on the first stairstep. No creakings. _Good_. The building wasn't very large but, if the feudal lords were spending there night there, it must've been luxurious in the rooms. Whoever led the project must've taken care for every detail- the house, although luxurious, seemed old and many old wooden stairs gain a tendency to creak. The stair wasn't long- two ANBU reached the top within seconds, to meet another door blocking them from their targets. Kaiya turned her head a little towards Tora, as she made him some space to come next to her.

He reached the door and put his hand on it, letting a complete silence to fall over them for a while. _They know we're here. Three guards, all armed with swords._, Tora informed, _The feudals are still asleep. _Kaiya frowned. _We don't really have any choice but to fight them_, she signed, _It's not like if we wait that_ _they'll go away._

Tora nodded. What she said made perfect logic. He prepared his chakra for an attack as Kaiya strengthened her grip on her tachi. The guards didn't stand a chance, nor did the feudal lords. In just a matter of minutes, a guard was knelt down before Kaiya, every muscle in his body hurting. He was the last person alive in the room. _He failed his duty so miserably._, he thought as he raised his head to look at Kaiya.

'Just kill me,' he said,' I don't deserve to live.'

Kaiya pursed her lips, as she raised her tachi. 'I'm sorry.'

The guard let his head down, waiting for his demise. As he waited, moonlight seemed to shine through the balcony stronger than usual, the rays resting on and around the man. As he took his last breath, he couldn't think of much but one thought. _It's a nice night to die. Forgive me, everyone._

Meanwhile in Konoha, a particular small group was under fire. Kakashi was walking with his nose in his usual book, when he couldn't help but notice the distress over a small set of students and their teacher.

'Guy, what's wrong?'

'Kakashi-sensei!' Lee exclaimed, gladly. 'Please help us out. Kaiya's birthday is overmorrow, and we still have nothing for her.'

'Hm, that's a serious problem you got there.' Kakashi hummed, observingly. 'Are you sure she wants anything?'

'Well, we can't just not give her anything.' Tenten said. 'Will you get her anything?'

Kakashi pursed his lips as he looked at the group. To be fair with himself, he didn't even know that the girl's birthday was overmorrow.

'Perhaps.' He answered. The kids' distress caught up to him, he guessed, giving him a guilt ride. 'But we can't get the same gift, so it's a waste of time and words to tell you what my gift is.'

'Is that a challenge, rival?' Guy exclaimed.

'Call it whatever you want. We all part our own ways in this matter.'

Tenten cursed under her breath for a brief moment. 'So no help, then? You leave us on our own like that?'

'You heard me. I'll get her something, and so will you all. All I do is make sure that my gift won't be spoiled by you lot. All clear?'

'Yes, Kakashi-sensei.' The three responded simultaneously, with their heads down.

'Now, now, don't get sad. I'm sure you'll find something. See y'all later. Oh yeah, good luck on your search.'

Kakashi bit his lip in thought as he walked away. They probably wouldn't need so much good luck to find something for her. Hell, they even knew her birthday was coming up. It was him that needed some luck, not them. Yet, luck was a risky thing that didn't like to visit very often. Most of the times, you have to make luck on your own. But how could he bring himself to an answer?

He took a sharp breath as he stopped in his tracks, with an idea striking him. _What if... he made a visit?_ It would be dangerous, and it sounded a little stupid for some, but it would help. Yes, the visit would be worth the danger. He needed to request Lady Hokage to excuse him for his upcoming absence.

Upon hearing his plan, Tsunade couldn't help but feel a little amused.

'Man, you really grew a little softer lately,' she said, 'Ever since, you know. She came back.'

'So may I go?' He insisted, returning to the subject.

'Of course,' She chuckled. 'Who am I to stop you? She's your daughter, after all.'

'Thank you.'

Next thing he knew, he was going at full speed towards the land of Lightning. He hadn't been in that place in nearly two decades now and he never really had a wish of ever returning, but Tsunade was right to some degree, he guessed. He grew a little softer ever since Kaiya returned. Suddenly, a thought came along. He never apologised. Maybe he could do that. Try better at making up for it. To both of them.

Just like most of the time, the day was a quiet for the Kobayashi clan. Everyone was preparing for the winter by all means- the older and the sick made winter clothing, and kids aided preparing the tents with extra layers of animal skin that would provide warmth or they would help bringing wood stocks for the fire. The best hunters would be sent to look for the best areas to hunt that winter, and the rest of the people aided where they could.

While her husband respected his duty as an elite hunter and went patrolling the nearby areas, Fuzasane remained that day in the Elders' tent to help making some clothes.

'Fuzasane-chan, could you go to see if they returned with some animals? We'll soon run out of skins and fur.' Aika, one of Fuzasane's friends, asked.

Aika wasn't very old, just a year or two older than Fuzasane, but wrinkles started to make themselves visible on the pale woman's face, along with a few white hairs in her blonde hair. Although not necessarily one of the most beautiful, she had her own beauty that was weakened along with the rest of Aika due to a sickness she got recently. Some feared that she wouldn't be able to survive the winter, but no one dared to say it out loud.

'Sure,' Fuzasane shrugged as she put down a fur jacket she was making. 'I'll go.'

She exited the tent and, as she made her way to ask someone if a hunter came back, something made her freeze. Through the familiar smells of her family and the woods, a particular scent stood out. A scent that she cursed for so long... There was no mistake. She was sure it was him. Yet... what was he doing here? Kaiya wasn't here, so just why?

She wasn't the only one who sensed it. Every Kobayashi present became very alert, every adult aware of who the person was. They all talked to him.

'Fuzasane.' A man in his mid-twenties nearby Fuzasane murmured. 'Be careful.'

'I know.'

It didn't take long for him to appear. He was walking slowly, his hands in his pockets, looking around. Just like the last remembered. It was an eerie feeling on both sides. Kakashi sighed, putting his hands in the air.

'Man, I didn't remember this place to be so quiet.' He said loudly.

'What are you doing here?' Someone called out. 'You're not supposed to be here.'

Kakashi let his hands drop.

'Then I won't take much from your time. I only want to talk to someone. I'll leave as soon as I'm done.'

A flash of brown hair made itself present in front of Kakashi so suddenly that he needed to take a step back. A woman a little older than him with long hair and fur clothing stood tall before him. It didn't take long for Kakashi to connect some dots- the woman was no other than Ichika, the leader. She didn't really take a liking in her sister, but she had to admit that at that moment, Fuzasane couldn't help but feel relieved at her sister coming.

'Who do you want to talk to? The woman demanded.

'Eh, I'm not- I want to talk to Fuzasane. Do you know her?'

'Fuzasane? Like in hell that I'd let you get close to my sister. You know what happened last time you did, and I don't want the same mistake to repeat.'

Fuzasane sighed, her breath shaking. This couldn't be possible. She turned her head to the man who warned her earlier.

'Please come with me.' She said, quietly.

The man nodded and obeyed immediately. He walked along with her to where the visitor was. At the sight of Fuzasane next to her, Ichika couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

'You don't have to get involved. I can solve this by myself.' Ichika said.

'By force, yes. Let's see what he wants before we sacrifice any lives.'

'Fuzasane-'

'Nee-chan. Trust me. I'm a full-grown adult.' Fuzasane turned to Kakashi. 'Now what do you want?'

For the first time ever since he left Konoha, Kakashi hesitated.

'It's, um, it's about Kaiya. Her birthday is overmorrow and well, I hoped you could help me.'

'Don't tell me you suddenly care. How do you know when her birthday is, anyway?' Fuzasane asked.

'Her friends told me. They were stressing out about what they should get her, and well, I care too. I would've not come here if I didn't. Am I not allowed to?'

'It's not that, but you could've started doing that earlier.'

'You're absolutely right. I have nothing to say except that I was just as scared and confused as you probably were when things happened, and that I apologise for everything I put you through. You don't have to forgive me ever, alright? I don't expect you to. Yet, we can't go back in time.' Kakashi paused for a moment, to catch his breath. He talked too fast. He needed to talk slower. 'I thought a lot about this ever since I found out that Kaiya was, well, my daughter. I may have not been there for her at the beginning or much of her life until now, but... she's my kid too, in a way. I... She may not really see me as a father in any way but biological, so if you agree, I would like to be part of her life as well. If she doesn't want to see me as a fatherly figure, that's alright. But I want her to know that I'm there too and that I care. What do you think?'

Fuzasane couldn't believe her ears. Nobody could. Any whispers quieted down to the point where it was complete, utter silence.

'Fuza-' Ichika began.

Fuzasane gulped. 'Fine. But listen up and don't forget my words. As long as my daughter has a good opinion on you, you'll never hear my name. If, god forbid, you cause any trouble regarding my daughter, I'll make sure every second of your life is a hell until you make up to her.'

'Understood.' Kakashi nodded, relaxing a little.

It was an icebreaker for both of them. In a way, it felt like some of the tensity that sat between them died down,.

'Good. Is there anything else I can help you with?' Fuzasane asked, making full eye contact with the leaf shinobi.

'Yes, actually. I still don't know what to give Kaiya for her birthday. Any ideas?'

'Hm,' Fuzasane hummed in thought, 'let me think for a second. I'm sure I can find something.'

**A/N**

**Aye, here we are with another chapter! So, this chapter wasn't fully part of the plan (Kakashi visiting the Kobayashi) but he was distressing over there over what he should get, and when the idea of him visiting came up, my brain was all like **_**Yes. Avery, I swear to mcfricking God, this is a good idea since it's interesting and gives character development to Fuzasane and Kakashi. You better use it.**_

**So I used it. On another note, my dudes, I feel like I'm dropping out of my Naruto phase, and going into my next anime phase, Boku no Hero Academia phase. Don't worry, my dudes, I'll continue writing this fic up until the end. I really like this story and to hell with me if I'd dare to discontinue this book.**

**Alright my dudes, so the next chapter is going to be a good one. A really good one, my dudes. I really wanted to write it for a long, long time (I have had the whole plot in the series planned ever since like, midway book 1, a.k.a The Nomad, so it's quite some time), and here we are!**

**So yeah. School started (and I want to yeet myself into a break), so y'all know what that means. See y'all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	15. 15 A rooting curse

It common knowledge that the Akatsuki was a great danger, especially for Jinchuriki. With some Jinchuriki still kept well safe by their villages, it was to be expected that the grouping would raise their stakes. That's what Kaiya supposed.

For one reason or another, the Akatsuki's been on her mind all morning. They're as dangerous as some enemies from the Third Great War. _Can tell ya tha first handedly_, Mr Takahata, Kaiya's long since dead neighbour, would tell her. She didn't want to admit it to most people, but the thoughts of their actual abilities did scare her to the point where she might as well hesitate in a fight with them, ANBU level or not.

That day, her captain dismissed her until afternoon, and Kaiya tried to enjoy the last bits of her day off by looking at what improvements were made in town.

'Oi, Kaiya!' An urgent voice screamed in the distance. 'Wait a minute!'

Hearing her name, Kaiya's head spun around immediately, to see a boy hurrying down the busy street, followed by a rather large, white dog.

'What's the hurry, Kiba?' Kaiya asked as the boy arrived in front of her, panting heavily.

'I... I have something for you. Eh... Happy Birthday!'

The gesture couldn't do anything but bring a smile on Kaiya's face. He remembered. After some moments of intensive panting, Kiba began to regain composure. He dug his hand into his pocket and searched, eventually pulling out a rectangular red box with a blue stripe.

'Thank you.' Kaiya said as she took the box, analysing it in detail.

It wasn't very big, just a little bigger than the average palm. Opening it carefully, Kaiya's jaw dropped a little. Inside the box could be found, two white fangs that were longer than most fangs of a canine, being as long as an index finger.

'Fangs?' She asked. 'They're huge, man! Where'd you get them?'

'Oh, it's, um... something from the Inuzuka,' Kiba said with a smile, as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. 'It's a typical gift for someone close.'

Kaiya puffed in amusement. She didn't really feel like they were close in any way and their personalities didn't necessarily match, but he was always reliable, especially for something serious.

'They're awesome, I love them.' She thanked the boy.

'So, what are your plans for today? Mum said you should come to dinner at our place. If you want, of course.'

'I don't really have any plans, to be honest. I have to be at the ANBU headquarters at three pm, and I'll see from there. 'Bout the dinner, I'll do my best to be there, but I don't promise anything.'

Kiba sighed. Ever since Kaiya began going up the ranks as a ninja in such a short time, he couldn't help but feel a sentiment of injustice growing inside him. Of course, there was a bit jealousy, but he learned not to let it take control. It was just that... ever since Kaiya started ranking up, especially after becoming Jonin, she wasn't the same Kaiya he knew. She was colder and indifferent and well, less lively. Whatever techniques that the ANBU used, they seemed to work. It sucked Kaiya's life out of her. Of course, he couldn't tell her all this. Not now, not today. Hell, he wouldn't even know how to approach the discussion, anyway.

'Well, I'm glad you like the fangs,' he said, 'Hopefully, you'll make it to dinner.'

'Hopefully.' Kaiya nodded.

When the following two hours came and left, Kaiya couldn't tell. Next thing she knew, she was on her way to the headquarters, in her ANBU clothing and her mask resting on her head. As she walked through the Main Building's halls, she stopped in her tracks as a cold hand laid itself on her shoulder. Kaiya turned her head around, to see an old man in a long robe and a stick, with bandages covering one of his eyes. It was clear who he was- one of the elders, Danzo Shimura. What wasn't clear, however, were his intentions.

Kaiya heard of him many times and, as far as she could tell, she never really took a liking in the man. His ideals could still be considered sane, and the man was determined to keep them, but the only toxic thing was his way of acting.

'Kaiya-san, was it? Or do you prefer Wolf?' Danzo asked, calmly.

'Either of those are fine, Danzo-sama. How can I help you?'

'With only so much, but it's also what I can do for you. I have an offer for you.'

Kaiya's eyes widened. _An offer...?_

'I would like you to join the Root. I'm sure you must've heard of my ANBU faction.'

Kaiya paused for a few moments, in thought. It was a big, unexpected offer.

'You have the skills to be in the ANBU, just like your father and grandfather. I watched your progress closely lately- it was like you built for the Root. Hopefully, you'll last longer than your ancestors.'

Kaiya couldn't lie, it was a tempting offer. A very tempting offer, alas the cold man. Yet, it was the last comment that made her change her mind immediately.

'Even so, Danzo-sama, without a will, a shinobi is useless as a twig, no matter the skills or resistance. It wouldn't be a loss if such a shinobi refused the offered position.'

Danzo paused for a moment, raising his eyebrows. He wasn't a fool, he foresaw this coming, but in his calculations, the chances of this were rather slim.

'So you choose to remain as you are? Please be aware such an offer won't appear again in your way.' He warned.

'I hope not, sir.'

'So be it.' Danzo said pursing his lips, taking a step back. 'Then I'm afraid you landed a curse on your life just by refusing your fate.'

'Then so be it. My fate is no one's responsibility but mine.'

Kaiya turned around and walked away quietly. It was a disturbing conversation, but just what wasn't disturbing as an ANBU? She couldn't let a fool stand in her way like that. Nobody stood in her way, deciding what she will and will not do. She soon entered the ANBU room, which appeared to be fuller than usual.

'Hey, Kaiya!' A male voice called. It didn't take long for the voice's owner to appear- Tora made himself present in front of Kaiya with a large grin. 'Happy birthday.'

'Thank you, Tora,' Kaiya said, returning the smile. 'How are you? How was the mission?'

'Oh, I'm fine. Some bruises and cramps, but I'll make it. The mission was hard as hell, man! I thought it was a simple assassination, but hell if he didn't put a fight.'

'Well, it was a SS rank, so I suppose it was to be expected. You should probably get some rest and healing, anyhow. You know they give you a day or two off if you go on an SS.'

Tora chuckled, as he rubbed the back of his head.

'Anyway,' he said, 'I was wondering if I could take you out somewhere this evening?'

Kaiya sighed. 'I already promised my aunt and cousins that I'll have dinner with them if I'm not on patrol tonight. Maybe tomorrow?'

'Sure, no problem. Oh yeah, do you know Uchiha Fukagu?'

'I think I've heard of him. Why?'

'He's Sasuke's father. You must have heard of Sasuke Uchiha. You did, right?'

'The boy who became a rogue and works with Orochimaru? Heard of him.'

'Well, you won't believe what I read about his father. Let me show you!'

Tora grabbed Kaiya by her wrist and dragged her up until his locker, excitement flowing within him. Recently, Tora developed a particular curiosity to learn as much as he can about various elite and legend shinobi, especially from Konoha. That kind of stuff never really intrigued Kaiya, but Tora was so passionate about it, Kaiya couldn't help but pay attention when Tora would tell her things on the topic.

The boy opened his locker and pulled a thin file. It had a photo of a person, a name, age, and status on the cover. The name confirmed itself to be Uchiha Fukagu, a name that didn't spark any interest in Kaiya's mind, but when she looked at the photo, she felt her stomach turn around. The man in the picture was too familiar- shoulder-length brown hair, cold eyes, tall, facial expressions, there was no mistake in Kaiya's mind as she made a connection. He was the one who killed her brother.

The room suddenly turned small as it ran out of air, replacing it with people. It was like every free space was filling. Kaiya felt how she lost balance.

'I'm... I'm sorry.' Kaiya said as she covered her mouth, rushing to escape.

Next thing she knew, she was in the hallway, breathing heavily mid-way through a panic attack, with Tora next to her.

'Kaiya, hey Kaiya,' Tora said, trying to get the girl's attention, 'it's alright. Here's some water.'

He pulled out a small bottle of water from his backpack and handed it to Kaiya, who took it with a trembling hand. A few gulps and deep breaths later, Kaiya calmed down to the point where she was comprehensible again.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Tora asked, carefully.

Kaiya hesitated for a few moments. Did she want to talk about it?

'That man, um, he killed my younger brother.' Kaiya said, eventually. 'I... I don't really want to go into detail if you don't mind.'

'It's... It's ok! You don't have to.'

Tora fiddled his fingers. She never told him anything about it. In fact, she never entered in detail about her past. When he asked if she had any siblings, all she told him was that she had two younger brothers, and they were both fine, thank you very much. It was alright by him- if she didn't want to talk about something, he had no right to force her to do otherwise.

'Sorry for making a scene, though.' Kaiya apologised.

'Don't apologise. You're not the one to do something for attention out of the blue, and well... it's understandable you reacted the way you did. That's what I think.'

Kaiya cracked a smile. 'Thank you.'

Eventually, she regained enough composure to return to her duty. While Tora had to leave on a short patrol, Kaiya had no choice but to return inside the ANBU headquarters.

The patrol was almost always the same, Tora could tell that from experience. One must patrol with another two or three people on a radius that ranged from five to fifteen kilometres outside Konoha. There were hardly any people outside villages, except for eventual merchants, various feudal lords, or Konoha shinobi.

Sometimes, if you were lucky, you would run into an ANBU member from a neighbouring country. It was an unspoken rule that the two would just nod and continue each their own way, without saying anything. For all he could hope, Tora wanted his shift to finish so he could return home.

This time, though, things seemed that they would be different. He was making his way to Konoha's exit when a Root member stopped him.

'Owl-san,' the member addressed, 'Danzo-sama wants you in his office immediately. Please follow me.'

Even though his face remained emotionless, he was still a human with feelings- and there were lots of feelings. Anxiety, panic, curiosity... whatever Danzo-sama wanted, he had to be precocious.

'So you're here.' Danzo greeted quietly, pouring tea in a cup. 'It's good to see you at last... Yoshitsune Tora.'

Tora couldn't help but gulp.

'How can I help you, Danzo-sama?'

'You're a smart boy, I know that for sure. I need you to do something for the greater good. Something, sacrificial. You could even name it religion. Would you be able to do it?'

'Of... Of course!'

'Good, good. Then let me tell you the following. In Konoha, we have and have had quite a few masterpiece shinobi. If any of them would turn against Konoha, well... You remember what happened with Madara Uchiha. That's why the leaders, me especially, mustn't allow defiances of rebellion.'

There was a short pause when Danzo took a sip from his tea. Tora didn't like how any of this sounded. Did Danzo-sama ask him for an assassination? More importantly, whose?

'Kaiya Kobayashi is one of those masterpieces. Taking her bloodline, of course, she is. However, she also carries the burden of being a risky rebellion.'

Tora felt his heart stop, as his face coldened. _No... No, no, no. Please, God, no._

'She has plenty of skill and has a whole clan to back her up. Here's how you come into the picture. Although perhaps not imminent, it would make a significant mark on Konoha if Kaiya were to turn against us. You're a very important pawn, as you're close to Kaiya Kobayashi. To put it short and clear, I need you to get rid of Konoha's risks. I need you to get rid of Kaiya. Kill her.'

Tora felt something build up inside his throat, as his eyes stung. He barely could hold an emotionless composure.

'Let me ask you something, Tora-kun.' Danzo said, leaning over the table. 'Who are you loyal to? Konoha, or the wild?'

'K... Konoha.'

**A/N**

**Ayyee, welcome back** **to chapter 15!** **I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I have some tea to spill, so prepare.**

**First of all, what did you think of this chapter? Your opinion matters, and constructive criticism is always more than welcome.**

**Second of all, I decided to let the rest of the most interesting parts for the next chapter. Why? I couldn't resist the cliffhanger. That's it. That's my excuse.**

**Third and last of all, I'mma do it. I'mma fricking do it. I'll write a side story with Kaiya in the time skip while she returned to her family. I think it's a good idea because I'll be able to show y'all more of the Kobayashi clan, and I'll be able to bring to light various info about Spirit Seering that I never got the chance to show properly and idk if I ever will.**

**See you in the next chapter!**

**-Averyloves2write **


	16. 16 Youth's Eternal Protection

Nobody expected the calamity that would happen that day. It was a hit after another. It all first started the evening before.

It was a rather uneventful evening- Kaiya cooked herself something for dinner, and she killed time with a book she borrowed from ANBU's private library. After she found the man's identity, Kaiya went into an obsessive attempt to find as much as she could about Fugaku Uchiha.

'I have to admit, this man's career is really worth writing about.' Kaiya said aloud, as the ghost's presence lingered quietly through the room. 'I think we're close to locating-'

Kaiya stopped, a knife pressing sharply onto her neck. The room's temperature felt like it cooled off to a near-freezing state, draining the lights in the room from any warmth, as the sharp, trembling end of the kunai pressed against Kaiya's neck. Suddenly, the ghost's presence tensed intensely, hardening the atmosphere even more.

'I-I...' A shaky voice stuttered behind her.

The ANBU shook his head. _No, don't speak._, he thought, Don't make things harder than they are.

'Tora,' Kaiya quietly, fighting to keep calm, 'what are you doing?'

'I... I...'

The kunai trembled even harder.

'_Gah_!' The boy puffed, as he broke down to sobs. _'I can't do it!_'

Kaiya relaxed along with the ghost as the kunai fell to the ground. The boy took the mask off his face and planted it onto Kaiya's shoulder, his sobs showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

'I'm, I'm sorry, Kaiya...' Tora said, quietly. 'I should've not done it. I should've not accepted it._ I'm so stupid!' _

Putting her hand through Tora's hair, Kaiya remained silent for a few moments, thinking about what just happened.

'Tora,' she whispered, 'please sit down and tell me who made you do this.'

He wouldn't do that because of his own judgement, Kaiya was sure. Without any further comments, Tora sat on the chair next to Kaiya. He searched for his words and slowly, he began talking. When he found the story's string, he didn't hold back a single second. He told her everything. How Danzo gave him no real option, as she would die either way. The way he could've not close a single eye the night before, tormented by thoughts and how at some point wished he just didn't have a heart.

'Kaiya,' he said, quietly, 'I thought about this alot. You're not safe with me. We're in the ANBU, for God's sake. We're never really safe on our own, with this position. Let alone being in a couple with someone.'

'What are you suggesting?' Kaiya asked, a hole planting itself in her heart.

Tora bit his lip. 'I want to break up. I don't want to risk hurting you like this anymore.'

Kaiya's eyebrows furrowed, her chest feeling hollow as she processed the information. _Break up._ He wanted to break up. His words felt like a storm that came with an unimaginable speed before anyone would be able to foresee it. She felt her face heating up and how her fingers couldn't stand still anymore. Her heart dropped as a fueling anger grew inside her. All towards no one but the old man behind this. She never did anything to him or the village, yet, she was treated no better than a traitor.

In his eyes, she realised, she was no better than an Uchiha. _Revenge_, she thought, _It's time the man pays back for all his deeds._ Oh, if it was only her that he mistreated. She couldn't help but snort in amusement. She was just one person out of God knows how many during the man's reign. Anyone who wasn't willing to serve the way he wished, the man would look into creating nothing but havoc and hell in their life.

'Tomorrow,' she told Tora, 'I'll bring justice.'

'Lady Hokage, I need to talk to you.'

It was a quiet morning of November. At just seven-thirty in the morning, Kaiya was one of the very few who dared to make a path outside through the coldness of the morning. The temperature didn't bother Kaiya much- she suffered through much worse temperatures during winter.

'What is it, Kaiya?' Tsunade sighed, putting her pen down as she looked up to the girl.

'I'd like to make a complaint regarding Danzo Shimura.'

Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed. She knew for a record that the girl wasn't one for jokes or useless talk, so it felt weird when she came to make a complaint. 'What did he do?'

'He ordered my assassination.'

Tsunade felt how she choked on air.

'He what?'

Kaiya explained everything in detail, without holding back. Tsunade nodded, with occasional nods and hums of approval. By the time the girl was done, Tsunade's right hand was trembling terribly due to nerves, as one of her eyes twitched a little.

'Shizune,' Tsunade ordered, her voice shaky, 'bring that old man here. Tell him it's an emergency.'

'Ah, yes, Tsunade-sama!' Shizune said obediently before hurrying out of the room. She never liked the woman when she was in this state- she knew for a fact that she was dangerous, and the fact that she mixed her dark coffee with whiskey that morning for extra energy, as she named it, didn't bring Shizune rest, either.

Within five minutes, the young woman was back in the office, with Danzo following her, quietly. At Kaiya's sight, Danzo took a strong grip on his wooden staff as the girl shot him an ice-cold stare. Kaiya hardly kept her control- she wasn't a fool. She knew exactly what he was thinking now. She should've been dead by now.

'What the hell was that all about, Danzo?' Tsunade snapped, breaking the furious stare Kaiya shot Danzo.

'What, exactly, Tsunade-san?' Danzo asked, carefully. If he played his cards carefully, then maybe, just maybe, he could make it out of there completely white-handed.

Kaiya bit her tongue as Shizune watched the conversation tense, Tonton in her arms.

'I think you know very well what I'm talking about,' Tsunade sighed, putting her hands together before her face. 'Kaiya informed me about how you may or may not have been implied in an assassination attempt directed at her after she refused an offer in the Root, made by you.'

Danzo smirked.

'So you're saying that I send someone to assassinate her just because she refused an offer in the Root?' Danzo laughed. 'Tsunade-hime, that's foolish, even for me.'

'Then you're no better than a fool.' Kaiya said quietly, looking at Danzo dead in the eye. 'I know what you did, Danzo-sama. All your life, you did the same thing, over and over and over again, without learning. You took the outstanding out, fearing they'd take you off that throne of lies you made yourself, thinking they'd take your power and control. The thing is, Danzo-sama, what you have isn't power. Your sole weapon in this world is sharp jealousy and insecurity that lingers in your soul, putting its roots in other people. You're no better than a blind fool with dreams too big for him.'

'A blind fool with dreams, maybe, but a blind fool is determined to do so much more than a hopeless genius. Unlike your family.' The man hissed, quietly.

'A hopeless genius is so much more aware of their surroundings. They learn to enjoy life through the smallest things. They wouldn't sacrifice anything reckless for the sake of their dreams. They... They care about life and purity so much more, much more than their dreams.'

Kaiya turned her head around back to Tsunade slowly, who watched the conversation with awe. The man ordered for the girl to die by the hands of one of the closest people she had in Konoha. Yet, the girl found a way to put her poisoned feelings hidden under wise words. Tsunade sighed.

'What exactly is your request, Kaiya? What do you want from him?' She asked.

For a moment, Kaiya's mind flickered to the memory of Hamura Hinata's assassination and his words.

'Justice,' Kaiya answered, 'Don't kill him. Not yet. I wouldn't be no better than a blind fool, then. Let him live with his memory stained by all the blood he spilt until he'll fall in the agony he caused for so long. Then, he'll fully understand the chaos his unjustified revenge caused. Now, if you'll excuse me, ma'am, I don't want to be late to the ANBU meeting.'

Turning around, Kaiya exited the room without making a sound, heading to the roof of the building, where she'd meet the other ANBU. Soon enough, the old man left as well, allowing Tsunade to put her face in her palms along with a deep sigh.

'Why are they all so smart?' she asked.

'Hm?' Shizune hummed.

'All of 'em! First, I think it was Sakumo-san, hell, maybe even before him, but that man knew what he did and he knew how to leave an impression. He was the first to leave a mark. Then, there was Kakashi, a genius in a way or another, and now there's this kid. She never met that man once in her life -not that she could've, anyway- and somehow, she has the same ideals as Sakumo-san. It's like she's a second White Fang!'

Shizune looked at the woman, thoughtfully.

'Well, Tsunade-sama, 'the Hatake weren't respected for nothing. We're talking about a prodigy clan, after all.'

'I guess you're right.' Tsunade said, getting up from her chair. 'Where they want it or not, they're hopelessly caught into a looping cage of thoughts and worries that seem absurd to the ordinary being, yet logical and troublesome to the upper minds. In a way or another, they're all hopeless upper minds that must suffer the same punishment as a blind fool that can't see the end of their nose. They suffer for nothing but the uniqueness of their thoughts.'

Shizune watched how Tsunade shook her head along with a sigh before taking a deep sip of her whiskey-tinted coffee.

'I should go to that stupid ANBU meeting. They're all probably waiting for me.'

Outside the Office's window, sitting on the roof, Kakashi stood frozen as he listened to the conversation closely. His child, just like his father.

He heard her talk. He heard her judgement. There was no doubt in her similarities with his father, but Kakashi couldn't help but fear for the girl. What if she fell into the same pit of darkness as his father? No, he couldn't lose anyone else now. He wouldn't let the girl fall into the pit. If it were to happen, he'd be there for her.

Meanwhile, on the top roof, quiet echoes could be heard, as a group of masked people sat kneeled, waiting for the Hokage to arrive.

'Hey Wolf,' an ANBU with a fox mask addressed, 'I heard half your teammates died on your last mission.'

Kaiya bit her lip, as she recalled her last mission. There weren't nice thoughts. Only horror splattered in blood everywhere.

'That's not something the White Fang would do.' An ANBU next to Kaiya said, shaking his head. 'Ntsk, Ntsk. Kind of a disappointment, you know?'

'Don't tell me you suddenly care.' Kaiya snapped. The man who made the comment was a man in his fifties, just a step or two before retiring. He never really make a point in talking about who he was, but Kaiya knew better. He was a friend of the White Fang, or so he called himself. The man was the complete opposite of Hamura Hinata, though. While one realised their mistake and regretted it for years to come until their death, the other one lived in bliss, flattering himself with the name of the dead.

The man, Haruko, paused and blinked a few times. 'My dear, I never cared about anything except for my family and my job. As an ANBU, my surroundings are often part of my job. You, I'm afraid, are part of my surroundings.'

'He has a point, you know?' An ANBU in front of them said, quietly. 'Now be quiet, you two. Lady Hokage is here.'

'He has a point. He has a point just like when he had a point when murdering my grandfather!' Kaiya exclaimed, not paying attention to the volume of her voice or tone anymore.

Suddenly, everyone was paying close attention to their conversation. Tsunade pursed her lips. Now what?

'I didn't murder your grandfather.' Haruko shot back, indignated. 'He was simply incompetent.'

'You're incompetent! Incompetent enough to not understand and respect a choice the man was brave enough to make to keep you alive when none of you would've been brave enough to!'

That was enough to trigger Haruko, who now threw himself at Kaiya, tackling herself to the ground, with a kunai pressed against her neck.

'What kind of bullshit are you bluffing, you filthy-'

'He died for you to live, and he died for his beliefs. If necessary, I would do so, too.'

Preparing for a mortal attack, Haruko raised his kunai in the air, gritting his teeth. 'Then it is time-'

Suddenly, a dozen vines twirled around Haruko's raised hand into a tight, inescapable grip that eventually forced Haruko to drop his kunai to the ground.

'Eagle, your rebellious, murderous even, behaviour towards your comrades is unacceptable,' Tsunade said, in cold anger. 'Please wait for me in my office.'

Haruko mumbled something that was clearly not kind as he got off Kaiya, before disappearing. Relaxing a little, Tsunade turned to Kaiya, who was slowly getting up.

'Wolf, how do you feel?'

Kaiya paused for a few moments, meditating on some dots that were connecting in her mind. This wasn't right.

'I'm fine, thank you, Lady Hokage,' she said slowly, putting her wolf ANBU mask. 'But I'd like to quit the ANBU.'

Tsunade frowned. 'What?'

'This isn't the place where I'm meant to be. You just saw it- he was one of the people who put me under the same judgement of someone I'm not. Please forgive my sudden outburst. I will gladly accept a lower rank than ANBU, as you judge best.'

Mumbles were raised as Kaiya stood up and left the roof. Somehow, Tsunade knew it all along- ANBU was never meant for the girl. It was merely an ambition of hers that would've eventually crumble under the pressure of reality and her needs. She felt relieved the girl came to the realisation, but in another light, she hoped that she wouldn't come to it so roughly.

Kaiya left the main building and walked away with hard steps. In the span of twenty-four hours, she was about to get killed twice, both with a root in her family's history. What her family did to trigger an odd feeling in leaders and population, she understood. What she did to deserve the death threats, she understood it only halfway.

All she wanted now was for the day to come to an end, so she could get some rest and can start to finally move on with life. Sadly for her, that day still had a few errands to do for her. Within a few minutes, 3 loud explosions could be heard from various places around the entrance of Konoha, turning Kaiya's and many other's attention in that area. Tightening the headband around her forehead, Kaiya cleared her mind, jumped on a nearby rooftop and headed towards one of the rising clouds of dust. There, a large, red centipede stood tall, ready to attack a small girl that fell on the ground. Quickly. Kaiya drew out two sharp kunais and throwed herself at the centipede's back as someone yelled _Shannaro!_, followed by a powerful hit in the centipede's stomach. The two hits took their toll on the centipede, as it fell down to the ground dead, immediately. Landing on the ground, Kaiya looked at Sakura, who now healed the little girl.

'Sakura-san, who's attacking?' She asked.

'I... I don't know, Kaiya. I'm sorry.' The pinkette paused, as she looked at a man on the street. 'Iruka-sensei!'

The man responded to the girl's call immediately, as he spun around and rushed to where the girl was.

'Sakura-chan!' he exclaimed, 'are you alright?'

'I'm fine, thank you. What's happening, though?'

'There's some enemy attack, but I wouldn't be able to tell you who exactly.'

'Whoever they are, they must be pretty strong. I mean, _look!_ ' Kaiya said, as they managed to destroy a few parts in Konoha and get a few injured victims within minutes, if not seconds.'

'I...' Iruka squinted his eyes, trying to recognise the girl. He was absolutely sure he's seen her before in Konoha. If he could just remember...

'Kaiya. Kaiya Kobaiyashi.' Kaiya answered with a smile, aware of the man's slight confusion.

Iruka gasped a little, in recognition. 'Oh yeah, you're the girl on Lee's team from the Chuunin Exams! Kakashi's... daughter?'

'Yup.' Kaiya nodded, 'That's me.'

Silence fell, nobody really saying anything. At first, Iruka didn't really see any similarities between the girl and Kakashi- she had brown hair, native features, and well, a warmer personality overall. That until he took a closer look, as some memories began to clear up. The girl and her father had the same eyes, similar relaxed positions when standing, and a good motivation when it came to skills and being a shinobi. He heard many things about her, especially from Guy. Eventually, Kaiya turned around to face Sakura and Iruka.

'I should probably head out and see where I can help my teammates,' she said. 'Will you guys be able to handle stuff here?'

'Oh, yes, of course.' Iruka said, gaining composure as he returned his focus on what was happening now.

'Then I'll go. See y'all later!'

Kaiya sprinted from a roof to another, trying to find any sense through the mass of cries, ground holes and mountains of stones. Until something made Kaiya freeze in her tracks.

An orange-haired man with heavy piercings all over his face, wearing a back cloak with red clouds send a sword through a familiar man's body, before dropping him to the ground. Kaiya looked at the two with horror. No, not her father. This couldn't be.

Suddenly, Kaiya's body was shot with pain. Every bone and piece of muscle hurt, making her drop to the ground. She closed her eyes hard, in an attempt to bear the pain better. _Her father. Dead. By the Akatsuki. _The pain was indescribable- worse than any torture, like someone forcefully stretched your muscles to their near breaking point and then stabbed you through every inch of your body.

It all took but a few minutes for the pain to pass, yet it felt ao much longer. Opening her eyes, Kaiya slowly came into feeling back again. Her body didn't feel the same. It felt... it felt _smaller, _and covered in something that felt like fur. Looking at her body, Kaiya's mind almost couldn't process what was happening. She was in no human body. It didn't take long for her to connect what was happening- the heritage she once refused to use, came into her possession without her consent. She was in no human form anymore, she was a wolf now.

It was a rather strange, almost eerie feeling took over Kaiya as she came to the realisation. She slowly got up through stumbles as her body was shaking. Her senses were sharper, allowing her to now notice and feel every detail around her. In a way, she almost felt naked.

It didn't take long for her thoughts returned to her father and the man who killed him. _She needed to get to her father. _Through another series of stumbles, Kaiya hurried as she tried to find her way to the white-haired shinobi.

Turning towards her, the Akatsuki member raised one of his hands, a large shuriken beginning to float behind him. Just in time, Kaiya made it next to her father. She opened her mouth and let out an odd mix between a wail and a bark, that was meant to gain any sort of reaction from the man, in the hope of an answer that would've proved that the man was still alive and, hopefully, conscious. No answer came.

Turning her head around, Kaiya's eyes locked on the floating shuriken. She didn't need anyone or anything to know what was about to come. With just a flick of his finger, the shuriken was hurled in her direction at an amazing speed.

Kaiya didn't get the chance to move. Before she knew it, she was laying on the ground, face-up, as two arms were planted onto the ground on each side. Kaiya looked up horrified, to see a very familiar face twisting in pained tears. She felt her body relax for a moment or two as it changed back into her human form.

'L... Lee.' She murmured, the sound barely escaping her mouth.

'I'm- I'm sorry,' Lee stuttered, 'I didn't come earlier.'

One of Kaiya's eyes twitched to the right, as drops of blood dripped and mixed with the dusty ground. Looking back up, it was then Kaiya noticed how a large shuriken was planted into Lee's back, soaking his jacket heavily in red.

Kaiya felt how her breathing began to stutter as she tried to gasp for air, pain spread in her body once again like fire on gasoline.

She crawled her way from under the boy and fled, without looking back. She didn't know why she did it. It was, perhaps, too many things at once. A breakdown that eventually cracked and requested a breakthrough. For some reason, Kaiya chose to flee into the place she once called home. Perhaps, just perhaps, the shelter she found there would bring some peace of mind.

**A/N**

**Hello, everyone! How's everyone?**

**So, Avery did it again! I've been wanting to write this chapter for ****_oh. My. god. _****I wanted to write this chapter for ****_months, _****dude! Ever since like, volume one (The Nomad), around the ****Chuunin**** Exams arc? ****And those chapters were written in like, ****beggining**** of January. Dude, that's like, 10 months ago. ****Cheezus****.**

**Moving on, I still have so much **_**t e a **_**to spill to y'all in the upcoming chapters, lots of character development, and some really cool Kobayashi appearances, who expected that, ****hm****? **

**Anyhow, I'll have to stop here before I accidentally give y'all any spoilers. (Cuz that's what I always do lmaoo)**

**See y'all in the next chapter!**  
**-Avery**


	17. 17 Confrontation

_**Warning: There will be mentions of suicide.**_

'**_Y_**ou must've had it pretty rough too, didn't you, Kakashi?' Sakumo asked, as he looked at the fire before him.

He wasn't going to lie- he missed his son. Yet, it pained him just as much to see him there. It was a bittersweet feeling. He was glad he finally saw him, and yet, he was still so young to be there. Kakashi was just about his own age when he committed suicide.

'Hm, I guess you could say so,' Kakashi said quietly, biting his lower lip. 'I... I have a kid myself, did I tell you about that?'

Sakumo's eyes widened a little. 'Ah, yes, you mentioned something.'

Sakumo didn't expect Kakashi to reopen the subject. It was no rocket science to realise it was a rather fragile subject. He didn't want to push it, but if Kakashi wanted to talk about it, he was all ears. _It's the least I can do for him., _he thought. Kakashi smiled a little, making some wrinkles around his eyes.

'I have a daughter. Her name's Kaiya, you see. She doesn't really look much like me, but she's mine. I'm glad she doesn't really look like me if you were to ask. She's so smart! She even made it in the ANBU.' Kakashi paused, as his father chuckled lightly. 'What's so funny?'

Sakumo paused, as he remembered something. _He knew Kaiya. _

'I'm sorry, 'Kashi. It's just really unexpected. You seem really proud of her.'

'Of course I am proud of her,' Kakashi said without missing a beat as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'She's my daughter. How can I not be proud of her?'

Sakumo smiled softly. 'Of course. Tell me more.'

Kakashi didn't hesitate to continue. He told his father how similar Kaiya was to Sakumo without even meeting him, how the girl was a fast learner that went through the ranks up until the ANBU in a very short amount of time, and how well she bonded with the village. Sakumo listened to every word closely.

He never once heard the girl once talk badly about her father, but she never really said much on the matter, anyhow. On the other hand, her father really seemed to take a liking in praising and talking about her. Maybe he didn't get the chance to talk about her like that before. As Kakashi paused for a moment, the air felt chillier.

'What... What's this?' Kakashi asked, softly, as he looked around.

'Probably Kaiya.' Sakumo answered, calmly, before he zoned out for a few moments. 'Yes, it's her. She found your body.'

Kakashi felt how he chocked on his words. 'How do you know that?'

'She can interact with the dead, can't she?'

Kakashi bit his lip. He didn't remember telling his father that, as he wasn't very sure about that himself.

'In the past few years, I could come and go in the form of a ghost in the world of the living. There were areas I could spend more time in than the others, so I'd mostly hang around there.' Sakumo explained. 'There's this place, this apartment, that allowed me to remain much longer than the other places. It turned out to be the apartment where Kaiya lived.'

Kakashi's eyes widened. 'Does that... Does that mean she met you?'

'Hardly.' Sakumo sighed. 'While I _am _there, and she's aware of my presence, I'm not visible or in any way capable of communicating properly. Maybe it's because I didn't cross the bridge between the world of the living and the dead, who knows. She has no idea who I am.'

Kakashi meditated, as his thoughts returned to Kaiya. 'She found my dead body. You know, dad, when you... when you died, I was the first one to find you like that.'

Silence fell between the two. In a way, Sakumo understood something in Kakashi's words. Something more than just a recollection of the past.

'You didn't want Kaiya to experience the same.'

Kakashi shook his head. 'No. To be honest, I didn't imagine this situation would come around, but... I think I did think about it on multiple occasions.'

'You didn't die on purpose, Kakashi. You died as a hero.'

'Dad, you're a hero, too, no matter what people say. You know, nowadays, I understand why you did what you did better. I just want to say, no matter what anyone says or thinks, I'm really proud of you, and I'm glad you're my father.'

Sakumo looked at his son in the eyes and it was then he felt how he was tearing up on the inside._ His son... forgiving him?_ All of a sudden, a green, blinding light covered Kakashi.

'It looks like it isn't your time to remain here.' Sakumo said as he stood up. 'Thank you for forgiving me. I think... I think I can finally see your mother. Please take care of Kaiya.'

And then, the limbo disappeared, and Kakashi's eyes opened, violently. He was back on the battleground.

'Kakashi-sensei!' Choji cried, as he tugged the man into a hug. 'You're alive!'

His mind was still recalling the last thing his father told him. _Thank you for forgiving me. Please take care of Kaiya._

'Ka... Kakashi-sensei. It's good to see you back.'

Turning around, Kakashi's eyes landed on Lee, who had a giant wound on his back, covered by many healing slugs.

'Where's Kaiya? What happened with your back?' Kakashi asked, rapid-fire.

'She saw your dead body, which triggered something in her that made her transform into a wolf. She ran to your side, and nearly got hit by a large shuriken, which I managed to dodge for her.'

'With your back?'

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, as Lee nodded. 'Kaiya was really shocked, and ran away, but I don't know where.'

'_What?' _A voice spat out as someone landed next to Lee. Kiba knelt down next to Lee. 'Kaiya left? _Great_. Just great. I think I know where she went. Hopefully, she didn't make a change of mindset.'

'Can you please take me to her, Kiba-kun?'

Kiba smirked. To be fair, he was, at first, sceptical about the boy's crush on his cousin -he was more protective than he liked to admit-, but he saw what happened, and Choji, who was there and witnessed it, also confirmed what he saw. The boy risked his life in order to make sure the girl didn't get hurt. It could be said he appreciated Lee more, giving him a feeling that he needed to somehow repay the boy for his actions. Bringing him to Kaiya like a good way to do that.

'Sure, but let's take a jonin with us, just in case.'

'Guy-sensei.' Lee proposed, quickly.

'Fine.' Kiba shrugged. 'Where is he?'

'I... He must be with Tenten and Neji in town. I don't know exactly where.'

'Then we'll have to find them.' Kiba said. 'But first, you have to heal.'

Kaiya ran blindly through the forest, still in her wolf form. It was an overall odd feeling to be in a different body, but Kaiya started to get more accommodated with it. It gave her more flexibility, stamina and speed for running, things that were very appreciated at that moment as the girl's mind lingered at what happened.

_A dead person, another one extremely injured, possibly dead, too. _**_Her_**_ fault. _She didn't know what to think anymore. People died because of her in her last ANBU missions, and now the other two because of her negligence. All damn good ones. When she'll return to Konoha, Lady Hokage was sure to exile her for this negligent loss to Konoha. _If _she'd return to Konoha.

For a shameful moment, Kaiya considered returning to her clan for good. Yet, something in her didn't let her to. What about her father, her aunt and cousins, her apartment, the ghost in her apartment, her friendly dead neighbour, her friends and teammates in the ANBU, team, teacher, and... what about Lee?

She couldn't leave all that behind. She left her clan all those years ago for independence after what seemed to be their lack of empathy, and yet here she was, depending and clinging on the village and her bonds more than anything. She's seen death within the roots of the village, yes, but something seemed different there. People somehow managed to move on without completely forgetting the person. In a way, Kaiya felt like that brought some peace to the dead and their loved ones.

It has been hours since she's been running, and the sun began to set, bringing a deep shadow in the forest, mixing with various golden rays of sun that crept through the trees and their leaves. For a moment, Kaiya stopped running, letting her body get covered in shivers that crippled like ants. Before she knew it, she had transformed back into her human form, and collapsed on the floor, exhaustion finally catching up to her.

She let out a deep groan as she looked at the tree branches decorated in the warm colours of autumn. There weren't many leaves left, something that always managed to give Kaiya a feeling of sadness. She knew where she was. She's been in that forest a few times before- she was almost there, maybe another three or four hours of running.

As she stood there still, hearing nothing but her breath calming down to a normal pace and the wind rustling through the trees and their few remaining leaves, nostalgia grew on Kaiya. The forest remembered her of when she was younger, at the mere age of 8, and her first days of utter isolation in the woods.

There were cold nights and little food in a thick layer of snow, nothing she was a particular stranger to. Yet, she had no weapons and the furs that kept her warm eventually began to become thinner and less helpful to keep the warmth in her body, forcing Kaiya into making contact with people outside her clan for the first time. It was terrible- the way people looked, talked and treated her, all of it. The only good thing was the warm clothes she got from someone who took pity in her. That, and the kunais she somehow managed to steal from a bazaar.

It was hard, yes, but if Kaiya was to miss one thing from that period of time was the flexibility and freedom she had. She wasn't bound to nobody or period of time. She could carry on her days as she pleased, with no one to hold her back. Until, well, a curiosity of hers appeared about her father.

In the following moments, she could do nothing but think about her time in Konoha. She got a warm feeling when thinking about it and the missions with her team. When it came to her teammates, they were all amazing people she was glad she met. Tenten was an amazing friend with lots of good advice, Neji... well, Neji was a bit tougher to understand at first, but when she heard his background, she couldn't help but relate. And Lee... well.

There were many things she could say about him and the qualities he had, but it would take too long. He took care of her and visited her countless times in the hospital to remain for hours so she wouldn't get bored, hell, he even dared to put his life on the line for hers.

Kaiya shook her head, standing up. When she would come across Lee again, she needed to talk to him in private. Her body still felt weak and in pain, but she could move on. Maybe she could spend the night in the forest, but she wasn't to stop walking now. She wasn't dead yet.

Meanwhile, many kilometres behind her, two boys and a jonin man made their way at a slower pace, much due to one of the boys' wound in the back.

'Kaiya was here about... three hours ago, but the smell is odd. She was very fast.' Kiba informed. 'Are you sure you don't want to rest for a bit? I mean, we've been going on for a while, and with your wound...'

'_No.' _Lee urged, ambitiously. 'We're continuing.'

To be fair, when the girl revealed she was dating one of her colleagues in the ANBU, he had mixed feelings. He _knew_ he had to be supportive and he did his best in it. He did his best in bringing himself to the feeling of acceptance, and yet, no matter what he did, he couldn't get rid of a sour shadow of jealousy.

In the end, he tried to suppress it. He hoped he could tell her about his feelings one day, but he didn't see it happening in the nearby future. Then, she was about to die. It was about then he realised he needed to open up. _Immediately. _

Guy bit his lip as he looked at Lee, in a mix of worry and admiration. He was worried about the boy's health, but at the same time, he admired the boy so much for his insistence and strong motivation in finding his way to the person he loved.

'Hey, Lee.' Kiba said, getting Lee's attention.

'What is it?'

'Why do you like Kaiya so much?'

It was pure curiosity from Kiba. Sure, he liked Kaiya as a friend and as a cousin- she was an overall relaxed person, liked dogs, and pretty cool to hang out with. But he never really got to understand this boy's mentality well, so he guessed it would be interesting to hear why he would like Kaiya so much.

Hearing the question, Lee's face went a little red.

'Well, she's funny, and smart...' he began, thinking about it. '_Crazy _smart, actually. Have you ever hear her talk? Especially about the things she likes? She could go on talking about the history of Konoha and the various clan views for hours on end without getting bored! She's really skilled, and she's really good with teaching techniques! She's kind, and nice with everyone, and has a good instinct... She never lies, either.'

Kiba raised an eyebrow.

'She never lies, unless she has a really good reason to do so.' Lee corrected himself. 'And she's respecting everyone so much! Regardless of what they seem to be or what people say about them.'

As he said his last sentence, his mind flickered to when he and Kaiya first met and how they got to know each other. It was nothing romantic or particularly intriguing- just some fourteen-year-olds getting to know each other with various goals in mind as they went through a series of near-death experiences.

To be fair, it was the first time that someone asked Lee _why_ he liked Kaiya. It felt weird talking about it, but Lee liked it. It was all a matter of time as he just liked and appreciated Kaiya more and more until he eventually realised how much he grew to love her.

Kiba smiled a little. He and Kaiya were never particularly close, but he couldn't help but feel happy for her. The boy -although a little strange- was a good one.

'Alright then, we'll hurry,' he said, 'But don't whine if you fall behind.'

'I won't!'

In just a matter of two hours, Kaiya reached the Kobayashi territory. The dusk was close to its end, about 30 minutes away from utter darkness. The territory wasn't an extraordinary sight in that period of time. Not it that zone, anyhow. The trees were all slim and dark, with hardly any leaves holding onto the high black branches anymore.

Her scent spread quickly, as two young women appeared before her within minutes of walking into the territory.

'Kaiya-san, you look terrible!' One of them exclaimed. 'Are you alright?'

'Not in my best state, but I'm fine. Thank you, Aiko-san.'

The other woman's eyes widened as her hand covered her mouth, with a gasp escaping. 'Ka... Kaiya-san, _your smell. _Did... you transform?'

Kaiya said nothing for a moment as she looked at the shaken woman, before nodding slowly.

'Yes, I did. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with my parents. Are they here?'

'Yes, both of them, actually. Kaito-sama just returned for a longer patrol.' The second woman informed quickly.

Kaiya couldn't help but feel relieved when hearing about her father. He already mastered their Kekkei Genkai, which meant he was just the right person to help her at that moment. Although... he might've been tired at that moment. It was alright, Kaiya considered. She needed a break, too. They had time.

'Good.' She said, as she started to continue the path towards the centre of their territory.

After a quiet five minutes in the dark, Kaiya finally reached the basecamp, which fuzzed with various conversations of people in fluffy furs of all colours. Many heads turned her way, most of them surprised.

'Kaiya! Kaiya! Kaiya!' A small voice exclaimed repeatedly from somewhere under Kaiya as something tugged to her leg.

Looking down, Kaiya was greeted by one of her cousins, a small girl with the largest grin on her face. Within seconds, a young woman rushed to her side, kneeling down next to her daughter, ready to scold her.

'Akane-chan, what did I tell you?' The woman scolded, before raising her head to Kaiya. 'Kaiya-san, I'm really sorry about the inconvenience...'

'It's alright, it's no inconvenience.' Kaiya smiled, kneeling down to Akane's level. 'Hi Akane! Are you happy that I'm back?'

'Yeah!' Akane nodded, excitedly. 'I'm _really _happy to see you.'

'Well, I'm really happy to see you too! Where are your friends?'

'There!' Akane said, pointing to a group of kids playing in the basecamp.

'Well, why don't you go and tell then I'm back?'

'Alright!'

Without further ado, Akane sprinted off to her friends, leaving Kaiya and her mother behind.

'Thank you.' Akane's mother smiled with a light bow, before turning around and leaving.

Kaiya smiled a little to herself, as she turned around. She walked about halfway through the basecamp when she was stopped by someone who jumped from the crowd and made themselves present in front of Kaiya, their height difference only so obvious. Kaiya sighed, as she looked up. The boy was with about half a head taller and a muscular body, and yet, Kaiya didn't flinch in the slightest.

Behind her, at the entrance of the basecamp, three people, two of them obviously not from the clan, appeared.

'Hey look, Kaiya's there, we should-' Lee began, stretching his leg ahead, preparing to walk to Kaiya.

'No,' Kiba said, putting a hand on Lee's shoulder to stop him. 'She's in deep trouble right now.'

'Hm? Why?' Guy asked with a frown.

'The guy she's talking to, that's Taka. That's a cousin of ours, the son of my aunt Ichika, the Alpha. He's a pretty obnoxious dude with some weird ideals nowadays. Kaiya told me. I, um... I don't know if I should tell this to you guys but the last time Kaiya came here, which is like, about a month ago, Taka asked Kaiya if she wanted to marry him when he became Alpha and, eh... bear his children. Now, Kaiya obviously refused and he was pretty pissed.'

While Guy's face wrinkled in thought, Lee turned red.

'Let's go closer. I want to hear what he says.' Lee said.

This time, Kiba obliged as they walked closer, to a group of people who were also listening to the conversation, somewhere to the right of Kaiya and Taka. Suddenly, a hand laid itself on Kiba's shoulder. Turning around, Fuzasane looked at the boy worried, along with a taller man next to her.

'Kiba, what's happening? Why did Kaiya come here?' She asked.

Kiba explained shortly the Akastuki's attack, Kakashi's supposed death, and Kaiya's reaction.

'So Kakashi's death triggered Kaiya's transformation?' Fuzasane asked.

'I think so, but I think there was something with Kaiya before that. She seemed a bit off that day.'

Fuzasane shot Lee a suspicious look, only for the boy to look at the woman in distress. _He didn't do anything!_

'Who knows, Fuzasane.' The man next to her, Kaito, said. 'Kaiya can explain later. But anyhow, strong emotions like stress or anger do play a great role in transforming. Sometimes, a person can transform by accident just because they're really furious, scared, or jealous.'

'So you're saying Kaiya transformed on accident, Kaito?' Fuzasane asked, letting go of Kiba.

Kaito nodded.

'Then let's hope for the best. That boy trained day and night just so he can be the strongest.

'What do you want, Taka?' Kaiya asked. 'I'm really tired and not in the mood for your shit.'

'Did you transform?' He asked, with urge in his tone.

'What if I did?' Kaiya knew it was a big deal. The thing was, she only wanted to talk about it with her parents at the moment, and the last thing she needed right then was the nonsense her cousin spat.

A deep, continuous growl escaped Taka's mouth, as his eyes turned a bright yellow.

'Kaiya, I don't like repeating myself. But I'll do it just once, just for you.' He said, lowering his voice. 'Make sure to make a good choice. Will you join me as the Alpha's assistant, and bear my children?'

The answer came quick.

_'Never._'

'_Why?!' _He said, his voice lashing out in a frustrated scream that only attracted more listeners.

'I'm not interested, I told you already.' Kaiya answered, calmly.

'_But why? _Just tell me, woman!'

Kaiya hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. 'I already love someone, and it's not you.'

**A/N**

**Hi, everyone! How's it going?**

**_So_****. I actually poured much more details than I planned since I realized how important the mentality and the emotional progress is in this part, so I needed** **to focus much on it, and it so happened that in many scenes like the first one with the convo between Kakashi and Sakumo, and the part with Kaiya meditating, where I just couldn't stop writing and like, a few hundreds of words appeared out of nowhere. Like seriously, only the first scene had like over 600 words and I had t before I wrote an ungodly amount of words just with that scene.**

**All in all, I really wanted to write this part (really important arc tbh) for MONTHS, which got me all hyped up, which brought this chapter at a 3.5K worth of pure writing. And then imagine I still kept writing, and I was close to 4K and I couldn't stop, but I realised this chapter is already pretty loaded with info, and that I should continue writing in a different chapter. So here we are! :D **

**Me rn tbh. See y'all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	18. 18 The revealing of the soul

'I already love someone, and it's not you.'

For a moment, Taka froze as all the frustration and anger he held melted into nothing, leaving him to look at Kaiya with empty, wide eyes. For a moment, his mind couldn't process the words, nor a reaction for them. The words echoed through the basecamp and, for a single moment, Kaiya made eye contact with Lee, from the side of her eye. Her words followed by that particular eye contact created some connections in Lee's mind. His breathing began to stutter at the realisation. _Could it really be that way?_

Lee wasn't the only one who saw the connection. Without any warning, Taka fell on to the ground, his body changing at a speed faster than lightning. The clothes began to succumb in him as his body became smaller. His limbs were turning anorexic and misformed, the bones in them becoming visible as the skin stretched on his body like never before. His lower face grew longer and thinner as his head turned smaller, his hair shorter. He became inhumane as black fur grew all over him. Within a second, he was fully transformed into a wolf. He let out a sound between a bark and a howl.

Without him _saying_ anything, Kaiya knew what he meant. He wanted to see her power as a wolf. He wanted to see her power as a Kobayashi. Thing was, she didn't know how she did it last time. She just... _her father dead. _The memory came back to her, along with the feeling. Yet, still nothing.

Suddenly, Taka jumped in the crowd -which now formed a semicircle around them- to their right and bit onto someone who let out a yelp in pain. It didn't take long for the crowd to clear and give Kaiya a clear view- Lee was on the ground, one of his legs bleeding heavily as Taka stood over him, growling warningly.

A shiver of pain came upon Kaiya and, before she knew it, she was in her wolf form. Lee couldn't even tell what happened.

He was on the ground, paralysed in shock and fear, and the next thing he knew, the dark wolf growling at him was pushed off him by an auburn, slightly smaller wolf, who didn't hesitate to charge the other wolf multiple bites and scratches. Slowly, Lee got up in a sitting position, looking at the two wolves fighting.

'What... What's happening?' He asked.

'Kaiya transformed into a wolf and she's fighting Taka!' Kiba informed, excitedly. 'Pretty awesome, huh? She's that brown wolf.'

'How did she...?'

'Transform? She got triggered when Taka bit you.'

'Ah...' Lee whispered in awe.

It was an odd fight to watch at first, as an outsider- it was all bites, scratches and various yelps. Suddenly, Kaiya backed off a little, as she placed some space between her and Taka. There was no way she'd win there. Not like this.

Without any further notice, she sped off through the forest. He understood her choice well, and he didn't question it for a single moment. All those people were never meant to watch their fight. He chased the girl through the grey forest as night settled itself in, until she eventually stopped a forest side, with a deep cliff to their right. Kaiya turned around and began to charge him again with various bites aimed at his neck.

'What's... How's he better than me?' Taka barked frustrated, pushing Kaiya away for a moment. 'What does he have that I don't? He's an outsider! A pathetic one! Not ever that scum of father of yours was-'

'He's only so much better than you! Lee is so much better than you could _ever _be!' Kaiya answered, in the same frustration, continuing to charge attacks. 'And don't you dare bring my father into this. Lee's got skills and powers you could never dream of. Maybe he's not in our clan but he's so much of a better person than most people here, _including you!_'

In an act of blind rage, Taka raised one of his paws and dashed it with his claws over Kaiya's right side of the face. She backed away in pain, as blood began to drizzle from a painful, deep line that traced over her eye. Luckily, she had her eye closed at that moment. Unluckily, there would probably remain a mark there. Kaiya cursed under her breath.

'He's so kind and sweet, no matter how strong you get, your skills won't matter against Lee as a whole. He's just as hardworking as you, an amazing goal he's near reaching, no matter what you try or say, Taka, you won't be able to change how I feel! Do you understand?'

'Goddammit!' Taka said as he charged, once again. 'Why are you like this? You... You've always got everything. Did you lose your brother? Boohoo, at least you had one. I have none. Not even a sister! You didn't get to meet your biological father until later in life? I didn't get to meet mine at all. At least you have your step-dad. He's so good, it didn't really matter that much if you met your real father. I had none at all!'

'What are you _saying_, you idiot?'

As he tried to put her to the ground, Kaiya twisted her body just in time to turn the tables in her favour and put the wolf on his back, allowing her to scratch some wounds on him.

'Do you even _know _the stress of,' Taka said as he forced his way back up, 'being born as the Alpha's child? It kills me every day ever since I was born! I must be like my mother, hell, even _better_!'

'I _know_! I was born to a prodigy under a family of other prodigies on my father's side. I have the exact same expectations. It's not really easy in Konoha either, y'know?!'

Kaiya kept a distance from Taka, waiting for his answer.

'At least,' Taka charged Kaiya's shoulders with some scars, '_you had friends to talk to! People by your side! I have none_! Kaiya, I... I'm jealous of you!'

'Your honesty will change nothing now, cousin. 'It's too late.'

She charged some hits on his face that had him blind and disoriented for a few moments, giving Kaiya just enough time and power to force him closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. Just as he opened his eyes, his back legs slipped on the edge, letting his body drop, hanging onto his front paws.

'Kaiya...' he said, between breaths. Deep down he knew it. He knew nothing would change. This was the result of his lifelong work. Yet, hope never ceased.

'I'm sorry, Taka. You don't deserve my mercy.'

If you looked closer, you could see some pity in Kaiya's eyes. She didn't like the idea of killing. She never did. But in cases like this, as much as she hated it, it couldn't be helped. It was either him or her who had to die that evening.

'So be it, Kaiya.' He said, quietly. 'If things can't be changed, then... I'm sorry. I hope... If we are to be reborn once again, I hope we'll get to meet again. I guess I'll wait for you 'till then.'

Without saying anything further, Taka's grip loosened, letting himself drop into the deep pit that would end only by a river shore about 5 kilometres below. Kaiya closed her eyes, and it wasn't until a distant _thud! _was heard that any defensive wall she builds against her emotions broke, allowing an immense sadness to come out,  
as she returned back to her human form.

At first, she didn't know why she cried, but it all came to her. She cried because cousin was dead, her father was dead, Lee was put on the verge of death twice in the span of a few hours, _she _should've been dead. Twice by now. She cried, because of all the rude things thrown at her in the ANBU regarding her grandfather. She cried, because of the suffering her now ex-boyfriend was put through because of her choices. She cried because she missed the life she once had as a child. She cried because she felt lost. And nobody could help her.

She was aware of one thing- she was the only one who could pick her up when she felt lost. It was no one else's responsibility or ability to do so. She was her own responsibility. If she didn't care for herself, nobody else would. That's what her mother always told her. She wept the last tears she had in her, there in the darkness, by herself.

As one problem vanished, another problem appeared. How was she supposed to bring the news of her cousin's death to her family? She got up and took her time while walking through the forest She had her bloody hands in her pockets, as the scratch over her eye hurting more than ever. For all she could hope, it wouldn't get infected.

In the basecamp, light murmurs were the only thing to be heard, along with the sound of wood cracking under various fire pits.

'They've been gone for a while.' Lee told Kiba as they sat next to a fire made by Kaito, by their tent. 'I hope Kaiya's alright.'

'Don't worry,' Kiba answered. 'Kaiya's strong.'

'She is.' Fuzasane said, as she brought slices of meat for the fire. 'No matter what others say, she always manages to find her way.'

'Hm? What do you mean?' Kiba asked as Fuzasane impaled the meat on a wooden stick, before holding it over the fire.

'I, eh... I said some things to her regarding you and Taka. She rejected it completely, I thought it was just because she thought it was stupid, but who knew she already had a plan in mind? She never tells me that kind of stuff.'

For a moment, no one said nothing.

'What did you tell her?' Kiba asked.

'When she came first back home a few years ago, I began talking to her about, y'know, getting married. She's fourteen, she's starting to grow into a young woman, she must think about these things. She must consider, y'know? I told her I knew she didn't have the best relationship with Taka, but maybe she should consider a relationship with him. She automatically said no, of course, and... I asked her about you. I didn't know much about how well you two got along -I mean, I still don't-, but she never spoke badly about you. She was outraged by the idea!'

Kiba bit his lip as he began playing with the ground, while Lee listened closely without making a move, absorbing every word.

'I thought her opinion would change with time, but... she didn't. I... I didn't expect her to already love someone that way.'

'She didn't love me like that back then.' Lee corrected, words slipping his mouth before planned. 'I mean, she didn't love me _at all_. We were friends, we cared for each other like any teammate, but nothing romantic. I began to feel that way towards her at some point, but it took time to, um, to realize these feelings, and... I don't know when or how she began to have the same feelings, but it wasn't back then.'

Fuzasane nodded. 'I see.'

For a moment, her mind flickered to when she first found Kaiya and saw the place where she lived in. The place had, along with Kaiya's smell, a smell that was exactly the same as this boy's. She accused the girl of having a rather intimate relationship with someone at just fourteen, only for it to be confirmed as a mere misunderstanding.

It was then that Fuzasane fully realised how little she actually knew about Kaiya. She might've thought they were close, but, they weren't. Not in the real sense. She didn't know who her friends were if she was interested in anyone -not until now, anyway-, hell, she didn't even know if she truly felt welcome there! Her daughter might've been alive and kept her in touch, but their relationship was weak, like a mere obligation, and it continued to worsen.

'What's your name?' Fuzasane asked Lee.

'Oh, my name's Lee.'

Fuzasane nodded.

'Lee, why did you come all the way here, for Kaiya?'

Lee's cheeks gained a red tint.

'I need to tell her something.' He answered simply.

Kiba sighed, exasperated.

'You'll never get to stand a chance with Kaiya if you talk like that, man.' Kiba said, before turning to his aunt. 'Aunt Fuzasane, I think I already told you, there was an attack in Konoha, and Kaiya nearly died. One of the people who invaded Konoha threw a large shuriken towards Kaiya, but she didn't get stabbed because Lee came just in time and let himself get stabbed instead.'

Fuzasane's eyes widened, as she looked at the two boys. 'Is that so?'

'Yeah, he has a huge mark on his back now, as proof.' Kiba nodded.

Out of a sudden, agitation appeared in the clan, as many people began to talk loudly and yell, as someone appeared from the forest. Every head turned around, to see a bloody Kaiya, with many scratches on her face and neck. She opened her mouth and, for a moment, she managed to quiet the entire clan.

'Taka's dead.'

Various cheers were heard, only to be stopped once again when a tall, middle-aged woman hurried herself to Kaiya and grabbed her by the shoulders.

'_Impossible._' She stuttered. 'How did you...'

'I didn't do anything, aunt Ichika.' The girl said calmly, as she looked up to the Alpha. 'He fell off the cliff. He let himself fall.'

'_Liar.' _

'What do I gain from lying?'

'Don't act stupid.' Ichika growled. 'He was supposed to become Alpha, right after me. But now it's _you.' _

Kaiya's eyes widened a little. 'When?'

'He was already crowned, you fool. While I was still in charge, he was preparing.'

'My daughter,' Fuzasane said loudly as she made her way to the two. 'is no fool. She earned her right by fighting Taka. If she was stronger, then that's it. She's the right successor to become Alpha.'

Ichika frowned to her sister, before leaving as masses of cheers and applauses were thrown in Kaiya's way.

'Hey, Kaiya,' a voice said, next to her, 'good job.'

Turning her head around, a fifteen-year-old Kouta was standing next to her with a smile.

'Thanks, Kouta.'

'Although, _it should've been me.' _

Kaiya laughed lightly as she pushed her brother's head forward. People began talking about the ceremony for the Alpha, which honestly made Kaiya cringe a little. The ceremony was more like a feast where the new Alpha was acknowledged. With all that happened that day, she felt exhausted and her wounds didn't help. Honestly, Kaiya didn't feel like she could bear a ceremony at that moment.

'Mom, I don't think I can do the ceremony now.' Kaiya told her mother, quietly. 'I'm not feeling well enough for it.'

'The ceremony for the Alpha will have to be cancelled until tomorrow morning.' Fuzasane yelled.

There were various sighs and whines of displeasure, but everyone obliged. For all they knew, Ichika's tyranny was over.

'What did he _do_ to you?' Fuzasane asked Kaiya as she disinfected her wounds in their tent.

'He hit me with his claws.'

'Girl, you're lucky you're not blind in one eye. For all I can tell, your eye will be fine, but this'll leave a permanent mark. Oh god, and your mouth too.'

Kaiya put her hand at her mouth and it was then she felt a deep cut in the right corner of her mouth. It wasn't as big at her eye scratch, but it was just as deep.

'It's fine.' Kaiya said as she looked at her mother. 'At least I'm not dead.'

'Don't talk like that. Let me see your hands.'

Kaiya did as she was asked and, within fifteen minutes, all her wounds were all carefully disinfected. It was already pretty late when they were done and, when Kaiya laid down, thinking she could fall asleep, the only thing she got was proof that she wouldn't fall asleep yet.

Although feeling a little bit more at ease, her mind was still clogged with thoughts that kept her awake. Quietly, Kaiya stood up and left the tent, careful not to wake her mother up. If she couldn't fall asleep, she could at least take a walk to clear her mind. And she knew just the right place.

As she walked through a small pathway in the forest, it didn't take long for Kaiya to realise she wasn't alone. She stopped in her tracks, and so did the person following her.

'What do you want, Lee?' She asked.

Lee wanted to facepalm himself. _How did he forget her senses were much better than the average person's?_ Within a second, he was walking alongside her.

'I, um, I couldn't sleep, and I heard you leave. Where are we going?'

'We?' Kaiya snorted in amusement. 'I need to clear my mind, and I know a place where I can do that very well. It's not that far away, about ten minutes from here.'

'Hm. So you have your own place where you can go if you ever feel the need to be alone? That's nice.'

Kaiya smiled. 'It's not necessarily _mine, _there are other people there as well, sometimes. But yes, when I feel like I need to be alone or I need to think, I go there.'

'Could you please elaborate?' Lee asked, curiously.

Kaiya sighed. 'So there's this old house in the woods, not too far away from here. It was made especially for Spirit Seers, like me.'

'There are _more _Spirit Seers? I thought there was only one, and just in your family.'

'Well, yes and no. Spirit Seers only come in my family. But I have a big family, and it so happened that in time, some people separated from the clan and started a family on their own, creating various branches, all connected to each other. I think there are only three or four so-called branches, and they all existed for a few hundreds of years. Each one of them has a Spirit Seer. We often vary in ages, and it isn't uncommon for the Spirit Seers to be born in different generations, and not even meet each other.'

Seeing the curious look on Lee, she knew she must explain further.

'Spirit Seers are a little complicated to explain, but I'll do my best to explain it simply. We're humans, just like you. Practically and physically speaking, I'm not better than you or any other ordinary person. But Spirit Seers all have a guaranteed obligation to be reborn. Reincarnation might be the right form for it, actually. Most of us live three to four lives, but some live more. We usually don't remember anything from our past lives but, through practice, we can remember most things or the most important parts. And the time between our lives, it's all just a guess. We can be reborn almost as soon as we die, or in a few months, years, or sometimes even hundreds of years after our death. That's why one Spirit Seer can be born say, now, while the others die and won't be born again until later on.'

'And... do you remember anything?'

'Very little. I know this is my second life, and that I died when I was nine, killed by people. Many details are all a blur.'

Lee grunted as he kneeled a little forward.

'What's... your leg. It got bit pretty badly, didn't it? We should go back.' Kaiya said, stopping in her tracks.

'I'm fine. Really.'

'Do you want your leg chopped off?'

'Don't you trust me?'

'Trust doesn't have anything to do with your health, Lee. I'm concerned about you, y'know?'

'Concerned?' Lee asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively, along with a smirk. 'What kind of concerned?'

Kaiya sighed, as she turned around and continued walking on the path. 'Don't be an ass.'

Lee pursed his lips, realising his comment was off.

'Oi, Kaiya, don't leave me here like that!' He said, as he hurried to catch up to the girl.

After a few quiet minutes, the forest stopped the trees grow for a rather spacious, circular area, where a house made itself present in the middle of it. The house was rather large, with three levels and build quite widely across the meadow. With a good architecture inside, the building could've held up to thirty people only so well. Passing by the meadow, a river rippled quietly along until it would eventually pass by the Kobayashi basecamp, and even further than for many kilometres to come until, in the end, it would meet the sea surrounding the land of Waves.

The two wooden stair steps creaked as they walked on the veranda. Leaning with her arms on the thick balustrade, Kaiya analysed her nails for a moment.

'Why did you even come?' Kaiya asked. 'Why did you follow me here?'

'To this place, or from Konoha?' Lee asked, imitating Kaiya's gesture as he looked at her.

'Both.'

'I needed to tell you something. I realised how close you were to die during that Akatsuki attack and I really wanted you to know about it.'

Kaiya looked up, locking her gaze with his.

'Spit it.'

Something in her voice made Lee back away a little for a moment, giving him an urge to look away and scratch the back of his neck.

'Well... look. I've always liked you, okay? You're an amazing person. You're caring, and smart, and- and _sweet,' _he said at a fast tempo, his voice gliding to the highest notes possible and back to his normal ones, his heart almost beating out of his chest, 'but recently, I started to realize that I care a lot more about you. I, eh... I love you.'

For a moment, he paused, allowing the sound of crickets fill in the silence between them.

'However,' He added quickly, 'I understand that you're in a relationship, and-'

'It's fine,' Kaiya said quietly, as she broke the eye contact for a moment, 'We broke up.'

'Oh.' Lee said, his heart sinking a little. He should've been happy- in a way, he _was_. But the tone in the girl's voice wasn't the happiest. 'I'm sorry to hear.'

'Thanks. But I wanted to talk to you as well, actually.'

At that moment, Lee felt how his heart soared into the sky, full of hope. 'Really?'

Kaiya nodded.

'It took time, to be fair. I didn't even realise it. I... the boy I was with before, I cared about him deeply, I loved him, but, it feels different when it comes to you. It isn't just some affection and trust, but more. You know that time when I was low on Calcium and you spend the night over?'

Lee nodded, now with an awkward, goofy smile on his face.

'I didn't really like to admit it, but, I felt really good. Like, I felt really safe and I could actually rest well. I knew everything would be fine since you were there. You've always been there, ever since I first came in Konoha. You never really pushed it and respected what I said, and always supported me endlessly. I appreciate it more than you can imagine. Even now, you're still as supportive and there, no matter of what happens. I don't know what I would do without you, honestly.'

Lee shifted a little in his spot as a goofy laugh came out of his mouth. His happiness was way over his heels, and it came into the form of some embarrassing idiotic reactions. Kaiya sighed, amused by the boy. She locked eyes with him as she took a step closer to him. Without saying a single word, there was a short question of permission and an answer between them.

'I must be mad.' She said, before pushing her lips against the boy's, letting him catch her waist as her body dropped closer to his.

The kiss didn't last longer than a second- Kaiya's eyes went wide open as she pulled away, unwillingly making awkward eye contact with the boy as her face flushed red. She leaned onto the balustrade for some balance.

'It's- It's fine.' Lee stuttered, in no better state. 'Are you...?'

Kaiya nodded. Without any further hesitation, Lee pressed back his lips onto Kaiya's as he closened the distance between them, their hands wrapping around eachothers waists. For someone who never was in a relationship nor kissed before, Lee couldn't describe the feeling. He felt like he was in cloud nine, and how he could do anything. As for Kaiya, she was in a relationship before and yes, she kissed before. This time, it felt different. It felt better, more right, and less worried.

Eventually, Kaiya felt how Lee cracked a smile as he broke the kiss. She pulled the boy in a tight hug, resting her chin on his shoulder.

'I love you.' Kaiya said quietly, her voice with a few octaves higher.

'I love you too.' Lee answered, as he pressed his lower face on Kaiya's shoulder.

For a while, neither of them said or did nothing. Eventually, Kaiya loosened the grip she had on the boy. Lee got the message quickly, as he let go of her and created some space between them. In a way, a tension between them disappeared, only to let another one appear, at least for Lee.

_How'sin God's name was he supposed to act around her now?_ They were definitely not just friends anymore, but he had absolutely no idea how a couple should act like. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

'You know,' Lee said as leaned against the balustrade, 'after you left Konoha now, something happened and every dead person was brought back to life.'

Kaiya's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. 'Then my father...'

'He's fine now, yes. Alive.'

Kaiya couldn't help but feel relieved. 'Thank God! But... how?'

'I don't know, really. I think Naruto-kun had something to do with it, but I wouldn't be able to tell you anything for sure. I came after you almost immediately after you left.'

'That's very kind of- _your wounds_!' Kaiya gasped in realisation. 'Your back! It got hit straight on by that shuriken. Did it hit your spine? It would be really bad if-'

'If the shuriken would've hit my spine, it would've just slowed me more from coming after you. It didn't hit my spine, but it was close. Some of those healing slugs healed most of it.'

Kaiya sighed, as she shook her head in disapproval. 'May I see it?'

Lee shrugged. 'Sure.'

He lifted his jacket, to reveal a large cut in his jumpsuit soaked in blood, under which lay a large, white line surrounded by reddish skin.

'We should clean that up.' Kaiya said decisively, as she helped Lee put his jacket back on. 'And your leg wound, too. Let's head back to the camp.'

Lee nodded quietly, as he followed Kaiya back into the forest.

'We didn't meet any Spirit Seers. Are there...?' He asked.

'Yes, actually. A boy at the age of nine. But don't worry. You'll meet him, eventually.'

Lee bit his tongue as he tried to block the grunts caused by the sour pain as Kaiya cleaned his leg by a nearby river. It was painful, but he understood the importance of it. Eventually, it seemed like his wound was clean enough to stop enduring that torture, as Kaiya took a roll of netting mesh, that would eventually be rolled many times around his leg.

'Turn around, I want to see your back again.'

'It won't be painful, will it?' Lee asked, as he turned around and taking off his jacket.

'Doubt it. Your wound is closed, but it's still not good to have all that blood on you. Clean your hand and face.'

Lee did as he was asked, quietly. Much to his relief, his back didn't hurt at all while Kaiya put water over his wound.

'Thank you.' Lee said, quietly. 'For cleaning my wounds and all.'

'Anytime.'

Soon enough, Lee's wounds were clean, and they were heading back to the basecamp. Without even noticing, Kaiya's hand held Lee's, the two hands resting in Lee's pocket.

'There's my tent,' Kaiya said as they got close to Kaiya's tent. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight.'

They let go of each other's hands and separated ways. When she entered, Kaiya did her best in being as quiet as possible, but there was no point in it- Fuzasane was fully awake, and she looked at Kaiya expectantly.

'Well? Where have you been?' Fuzasane asked.

Kaiya's face gained a shade of bright red. 'Oh, I- uh... For a walk. I felt like I couldn't fall asleep.'

'Hm, interesting. And with whom?'

Kaiya bit her tongue. In a way, she was aware that her mother would know if she was lying, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

'No one,' she said, eventually. 'Just me.'

Fuzasane sighed. 'I won't eat you if you'd tell me the truth. I mean it now.'

Kaiya laid herself on her bed, which was made of various furs and skins piled neatly over each other. She was laying on her back, looking at the ceiling.

'You _always _say that, but it always ends the same way. You don't like him, anyway.'

'Oh, so you've _been _with someone?'

'There's no point in talking about it.' Kaiya said as she turned with her back at her mother.

Something in Kaiya's scent signalled how she felt sad, making Fuzasane purse her lips a little. When she came in, the girl was fizzing with positivity, only to be turned into a pack of anxiety and sadness. _Did she really fail so hard as a mother?_

'It's okay if you don't want to talk about it with me.' Fuzasane said, after a while. 'I was very worried about you and your safety, but he's a good boy, I know it now. I... I hope you'll be happy with him, no matter what I or anyone else in this family says. If it doesn't work out, it's also fine. You can always come back, you know it. You're still my daughter, no matter what, and I love you.'

Kaiya felt how she teared up on the inside. It was the first time her mother ever told her something like this. Before then, her mother was thinking in a very ride-or-die with no turning back manner. Before she knew it, she could hardly block the sobs anymore. She didn't even want to cry. She didn't want to be weak. She needed to be strong, that's what everyone said. Tears were for the weak. _Liars._

'It's... It's not that I want to talk to you about it.' She said, between tears. 'It's just that you always get so _angry _and you yell at me so much about... about _anything! _I know you just want the best for me, but... I don't like it when you yell at me like that.'

Fuzasane didn't know what to say. Not at first, at least. She was aware that she got angry at the girl and scolded her maybe a little overboard lately, but she didn't realise it affected her so badly. Not to the point where she just wouldn't talk to her about anything in her life.

'I'm sorry. I'll do my best to not get so mad at you from now on and talk more calmly. Is it alright?'

Kaiya nodded, eventually turning around to face her mother. 'Mhm.'

Fuzasane smiled, as she proceeded to clean the girl's face from the tears. 'Alright then.'

For a while, it was quiet as the two sat in the darkness of the tent.

'Mum.' Kaiya said, catching her mother's attention, who responded with a light humming. 'I was with Lee at the Spirit Seer house.'

'What did he say?'

'Multiple things, but he confessed that he loved me.'

'Oh? What did you say?'

'I, uh, I told him I had the same feelings for him and...' Kaiya's voice trailed off.

'You kissed?' Fuzasane guessed.

'Yeah.'

'Alright.'

Kaiya's eyes widened. 'You're okay with it?'

'Why shouldn't I be? It eventually happens to any couple. I kiss your father, as well. It's not illegal.'

Kaiya couldn't help but smile. 'Thank you, mum.'

A large boulder, probably one of the largest, if not the largest, was lifted off her. If her parents were supportive of her relationship, it really meant it was alright. This time, Kaiya fell asleep within minutes. She felt easened, as thoughts were neatly arranging in her mind. She was unexpectedly, yet irrevocably in love with Lee, and, with her mother's approval, it only meant she was one more step ahead.

**A/N**

**Hi guys! How's it going?**

**Now, I want you to imagine I wrote this chapter in less than a day. This whole thing, in the span of 12 hours. 4.2k worth of words. Yes. Then, I came back some time later and added another 1K to it. And transformed it into a 5.2K chapter.**

**But it's the good tea, and this is the tea I've been willing to spill for months. And it's not over! The good stuff just began. **

**See y'all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	19. 19 The Descendant of the throne

The following morning, Kaiya could say she felt better. Still tired, and in some pain, but relatively better than the evening before.

She woke up earlier than expected, just as sunrise appeared. Greeted by what felt like way too many relatives -many of which she could only recognise by sight- Kaiya walked down the forest to a nearby river. It seemed like the Kobayashi chose their basecamp very strategical on that matter- they were placed in a zone of a forest that was hardly visited by people. And when they did, the locals knew to just stay away.

As for the river, all you had to do is to follow a thin pathway and carefully climb down a small, hill. Kaiya knelt down by the river and began to wash her face with the cold water. It was quiet until Kaiya felt how a pair of eyes locked on her from the other side of the river. For a moment, she froze. However, when she looked up and localized the person looking at her, she cracked a smile, relaxing. On the other side of the river, a particular green-clothed boy was looking at her, curiously.

'Good morning, Lee.' Kaiya greeted. 'Where were you?'

'I wanted to see more of the surroundings.' Lee answered as he stepped carefully on some rocks on the river, trying to get on the other side.

Kaiya watched the boy's careful steps with great attention. 'Alright but next time, take someone with you. You don't know who might be out there and something bad... _might happen._'

Just as she finished her sentence, Lee lost balance and fell in the river. Luckily for him, the river wasn't very deep, hardly a few centimetres deep. Unluckily for him, it was an November morning, which meant that the water was ice-cold.

'I thought you said outsider people hardly pass by this place.' Lee said, getting up.

'Hardly, yes. But I never said never.' Kaiya corrected. 'Thing is, one can't really know when someone will pass by. They all come and go, and sometimes, someone will pass by. We never know if they're friend or foe. We stopped taking those kind of risks a long time ago.'

'Hm? Why?'

Kaiya shook her head.

'Because reasons that shouldn't concern you.'

'That's... not a really satisfactory answer.'

'I never meant it to be satisfactory.'

It was a fact that she didn't want to give a particularly satisfactory answer. In truth, she only gave the answer just for the sake to do so. For the reasoning behind, she just didn't like to talk about it. For why they didn't like coming in contact with the outsiders, she didn't know. Maybe it started with her biological father, maybe even before. Perhaps the realisation didn't fully kick in until more serious consequences came it. Just like her existence, and her brother's death.

With that, Kaiya got up on her feet. "The coronation will start soon. Are you coming?"

Lee nodded. Honestly, the idea of becoming Alpha never really fazed Kaiya. She did aspire being one at some point, but the idea didn't appeal her interests anymore. But what could she do now other than take the place? She could pass it on to her brother later, but for now, it was all up to her to fix the things the previous Alphas broke. Especially her aunt. She was _not_ a coward.

While Kaiya saw it as an obligation, her family all saw it as a feast. As soon as she entered the basecamp, all eyes turned to her as she was greeted respectfully by various people.

"Oi, Kaiya!" A familiar voice said as someone tapped Kaiya's shoulder.

"What is it, Kouta?" Kaiya asked as she looked at the mass of people agitating.

"Everything's ready for your coronation. We even got to force aunt Ichika out of the big tent!" Kouta said, beaming with excitement.

Because of their status and importance, the Alpha had a separate, larger den for themselves. Most of the times, the Alpha died in battle before getting to see the new Alpha reign or be very old and sick and die within a very short time in the healer's tent, but since Ichika didn't live in either of the situations, she was forced to leave her tent and move into another, normal tent in order for Kaiya to fully take her place as Alpha, along with its advantages.

"Oh yeah, I guess the tent's mine now."

Suddenly, Kaiya frowned as a strange, stingy smell invaded her nose. It seemed like everyone sensed it, as a panicked agitation began to spread in the clan.

'What's wrong?' Lee asked.

Kaiya shook her head lightly. 'There's something...'

'Kaiya-sama!' One of the women that greeted her when she arrived the other hurried to her. 'Someone invaded the territory. They say they're an enemy.'

'Oh, the _audacity_. Please bring me to them. _Everyone, prepare your weapons, just in case.'_

She wasn't even crowned yet with the title of Alpha, but people seemed to find her the closest thing they had to a leader at that moment. Everyone did as she asked them, as Kaiya was led into the forest at a fast pace. Soon enough, when the scent became very strong, the woman stopped and pointed quietly at something in the distance. Kaiya focused to where the woman was pointing, to see a slim figure of a man.

With short blue hair, a cloak and a height that was surely not over 1,60 metres, the man was standing still, with the back at them. He still looked pretty young, though. In his mid-twenties, maybe.

'Thank you.' Kaiya told the woman, quietly. 'Please go back to the basecamp and make sure everyone's prepared for any attack.'

The woman nodded, before turning around and hurrying back to the basecamp. Slowly, Kaiya stepped towards the intruder. In her time as an ANBU, Kaiya learned how to mask most of the sounds that would give out her presence. In a sense, she could make herself invisible.

With each step she took closer to the man, a frown grew bigger and bigger as a feeling of recognition grew upon Kaiya.

'What are you doing here?' Kaiya said, her voice booming into the silence, leaving its mark through a long repeating echo. 'What's your business?'

Hearing her, the man jumped a little as he turned around. At the sight of his surprised face, Kaiya stopped dead in her tracks in shock. She knew him. She met him before. All those years ago when she first became a shinobi serving for Konoha, he tried to kill her and her teammates. The man smirked.

'Hello, Kaiya.'

His voice could be heard clearly through the forest. Without even seeing him move, the man was standing a little closer to Kaiya, a smile stuck on his face, hands in his cloak's pockets.

'Temon.' Kaiya acknowledged. 'How do you remember my name?'

'The same way you remember mine, my dear.' Temon said, quietly. This time, he found himself behind Kaiya, his hand gripping a kunai in his pocket. 'Some things are simply unforgettable. It's nice seeing you again after all these years.'

Kaiya didn't even realise how her body was shaking until that moment, as her heartbeat got out of control.

'What are you doing here?' Kaiya questioned, trying to be reasonable.

'Simply a visit. Nothing more, nothing less.'

Unlike three years ago, Kaiya was much more perceptive of other's gestures. She grabbed her tachi out quickly as she turned around, just in time to block the man's attack with a kunai.

'My family,' Kaiya said while jumping a few meters back, dodging some hits from the man's kunai, 'has no business to share with you. There's no point for your visits. _How do you even know us?'_

'Kaiya, dear, I'm a rogue. I've been a rogue even before you were born. I know this land's many secrets. There are more secrets and unaffiliated clans like you than you'd expect.'

'Rogues are usually caught within a few years of their unaffiliated. They're either killed or imprisoned.'

Temon's kunai was quite old and used up- with a greater effort, Kaiya hit the kunai hard enough to cut it in two. Unluckily for her, this only offered Temon a better way to attack from a closer range.

'I never did any crime bad enough to deserve being looked for.' Temon searched for an opening in Kaiya's defensive attacks, but to no use. 'Everyone thinks I'm dead. Besides, have you never heard of the story boy rescued by the Kobayashi?'

Kaiya's eyes widened a little. 'I did.'

'I _am_ the boy.'

Kaiya jumped and landed on a high tree brach as she looked down at Temon. The lost boy rescued by the Kobayashi was a classic story that everyone in clan knew. Basically, about two decades ago, a small boy around the age of six stumbled upon the Kobayashi basecamp. It was still in the middle of the third great shinobi war, and the clan was careful about any outsider approaching.

Under many layers of mud and blood, the boy had many scratches and wounds, everything mixing under his constant tears. Carefully, a Kobayashi Elite approached him and asked what his name was and what he was doing there all alone. He then informed the Elite he merely responded to _boy, _and that he got separated from his parents, who were merchants in Konoha who tried to reach the land of Wind. He said his parents were taken away by some masked shinobi, who told him to run.

The Elite was no fool, and felt her heart ache- she was a mother herself, and the fate the child and his parents were pushed to was terrible.

'Boy, you will stay with me from now on, okay? You're safe now.' The Elite said, calming the boy down. 'And you need a name. A _nice_ name. What do you think of Temon?'

The boy nodded as he wiped off his tears. 'Y...Yeah. Will mama and papa come after me?'

The Elite bit her lip. She couldn't lie to him. Give him hopes and dreams that would only disappoint him- it would hurt more than the truth. 'I'm afraid not. They were called to serve this world for a great price. It's terrible, but honourable at the same time. I'm afraid your parents won't be able to come and get you.'

The boy didn't understand the reasoning behind it very well, but he understood what one thing that the woman- his parents weren't coming back. It was confusing, but he didn't know what else to do. He grabbed the woman's hand and followed where she lead. He never liked woods. They were all the same- dark, cold, bloody. Yet, in the middle of the forest, as he held onto that woman's hand, he felt safer. How that was possible, he couldn't tell.

It was all fine for about a year or two. The Kobayashi took him in as the woman cared for the boy as if he was her own son. Kids would play with him and people would teach him their techniques. All well until the boy began questioning his roots. The Elite that took him in explained everything, without holding back anything. The night she found him, his parents were killed, while he was spared for whatever reason. The boy then accused her of holding him away from his home in Konoha and, even after the woman's pleads and attempts to reason with him, he fled back to Konoha.

Unluckily for him, Konoha didn't acknowledge him. In truth, the war was still going on mercilessly. They couldn't trust nobody, and a wild child that appeared out of nowhere, saying that he used to live inside Konoha wasn't something to play with. They send him away, leaving Temon all on his own. The stories say that Temon attempted returning to the Kobayashi, who also exiled him, much to his adoptive mother's pain. The story stopped after that, leaving the fate of the boy unclear. Little did they know that the boy somehow survived the war as a rogue, until he eventually found another runaway. They teamed up and they were inseparable from then on. That until death took a decision for their fate a long decade after being together.

Kaiya closed her eyes for a moment. 'How dare you stand before my eyes, just like that? On my territory! As soon as your foot hit my ground, shame should've boiled inside you. _Be gone_!'

Without giving him a single chance to defend, Kaiya jumped from the tree and threw herself towards the man, slashing his back with her tachi without holding back a single second. The cut was deep and hit his spine quite well. Temon fell on the ground immediately, screaming in agony as pain shot through his entire body. As she looked at him, Kaiya didn't feel any emotion. No empathy, regret, nothing.

'It's a pity you must die like this,' Kaiya told him, raising her sword in the air, yet again, 'but you should've thought about your deeds and their consequences before stepping on this ground.'

Relaxing her hand, the tachi fell upon the man's head, silencing him once and for all, sparing him from any more second of pain that he might've felt in that moment. When she returned to the basecamp, all people suddenly knelt down, occupying every possible spot, except a line that would lead her to the Alpha's Tent, where her mother was waiting for her, still standing. It was a tradition that implied that the assistant of the last Alpha would honour their master and crown the next Alpha. Kaiya frowned- they were all waiting for her. Quietly, the guard woman that led her to Temon earlier approached her.

'Kaiya-sama, is everything...?' She whispered.

Kaiya leaned towards the woman's ear.

'He's dead. Please take some people with you and bury him once the ceremony's done.'

The woman nodded before disappearing in the mass of people. Careful not to step on anyone's hands, Kaiya walked through the people, towards the Alpha's tent that was soon going to become hers. Through the masses, Kiba watched the scene unfold excitedly. _His sister would've killed to see a crowning in person! She'll be so jealous when he'll tell her._

'That's my cousin there.' He told a man next to him. 'Kaiya's my cousin.'

'She's my cousin, too.' The man answered. 'Don't flatter yourself like an idiot and be quiet.'

Kiba imited the man under his breath, pissed by the answer, before returning his attention to Kaiya. She had reached the tent and her mother was telling her something he couldn't catch.

'Are you ready?' Fuzasane asked. 'To become Alpha, I mean. It's a big responsibility, and you're still only 18. _God,_ you've missed a lot of stuff, and-'

'Mum,' Kaiya said softly, 'it's fine. I'm ready.'

Fuzasane nodded lightly, obviously nervous. 'Right. Stand like this, facing the people.'

Kaiya did as she was asked to. For a moment. she felt how anxiety crept on her as she came to a realisation._ All those people looking up to her_. How could she lead them all correctly? She had great responsibilities as a shinobi, and an even greater loyalty for Konoha. She couldn't leave it all behind!

'Kobayashi, stand up to face your new Alpha!' Fuzasane called out. Everyone obeyed and stood up. 'I, Fuzasane Kobayashi, daughter of Alpha Chihiro Kobayashi, assistant of Alpha Ichika Kobayashi, daughter of Alpha Chihiro Kobayashi, will crown Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, under the title of Alpha, so she may continue to protect you from all harm and lead you to eternal peace.'

It was a long speech, but such formalities were meant to be kept, no matter how disliked, boring or long they were. While many disliked it, Guy was astonished.

'So, Kaiya's grandmother and... _aunt _were_ both_ Alphas? Amazing!' He told Lee. 'Did you know that?'

'Only about her aunt. She never talked about her grandmother with me.' Lee asnwered, not taking his eyes off the ceremony.

'Kaiya Kobaiyashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobaiyashi,' Fuzasane continued, 'will you protect this clan from all harm at all costs, including your life?'

'I will.' Kaiya nodded.

Fuzasane took some dirt in her hand and proceeded to stick some on Kaiya's forehead.

'Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, do you swear to do your best and lead this clan into eternal peace?'

'I will.'

Another mark of dirt was put on Kaiya's right cheek.

'Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, do you swear to be loyal only to the clan and raising it?'

For a moment, Kaiya hesitated, and Fuzasane knew why. In a way, many people guessed. She was very loyal to Konoha. They offered her possibilities that her clan couldn't. Yet, what could she do? She couldn't back away. Not then. _She'll find a way to fix it._ She didn't know how, but she knew that somehow, she would.  
'I will.'

The answer raised some quiet murmurs in the crowd, that stopped as soon as they started. There was another mark placed on Kaiya's left cheek.

'Then I, Fuzasane Kobayashi, daughter of Alpha Chihiro Kobayashi, name you, Kaiya Kobayashi, daughter of Fuzasane Kobayashi, the new Alpha of the Kobayashi. May you reign long and in peace.'

Aligning quietly, people each came to Kaiya, bowed, and send their best wishes along with a small gift. Some brought plants, others brought furs, and some even brought small animals like rabbits.

'Guy-sensei, we have nothing to give her.' Lee said, quietly.

'It's alright. We're not part of the clan.' The man answered as he watched the scene unfold from afar.

Lee shifted on his legs, annoyed at the situation. How could he not give Kaiya something for her ceremony of becoming Alpha? _It was disgracious! _

After what seemed to take ages, everyone in the clan gave their gifts -hell, even Kiba brought something!-, Kaiya walked inside her new tent, as the gifts were brought inside, along with her. To be fair, Kaiya never entered the tent before, but she couldn't help but feel surprised.

The tent was much more spacious, and practically speaking, much more comfortable. The furs that covered the ground were thicker and fluffed, the bed had a much closer resemblance to a normal bed in Konoha than the ordinary Kobayashi beds, and the skins conjuring the bed were beautifully decorated in a multitude of coloured feathers of all shapes and sizes. Quietly, Kaiya sat herself on the bed, recollecting her thoughts.

'Well,' Fuzasane said, entering the tent, 'this place's much better without Ichika, if you ask me. _Or anybody._'

'It still smells like her, though.' Kaiya commented.

Fuzasane sat herself next to Kaiya.

'It'll go away with time. Have you thought about an assistant?'

'Oh yeah. I didn't.'

'It doesn't have to be me, if you don't want to. I was only Ichika's assistant. With her gone, I'm nothing more than just another member now.'

'You're talking about her like she's dead.'

'I sometimes wish she was dead, honestly.'

'Don't talk like that. She might hear you.'

'I know. But she _kills_ me sometimes with some stupid ideas of hers. Conservative bullshit.'

'Hmpf.' Kaiya shrugged. 'Can't really say much on the matter. Kouta's nothing like that, and Jun... I wouldn't know. Probably nothing like that either, but... y'know.'

Silence fell between the two for a while, both with the same thought in mind. _Jun._

'Maybe Kouta wants to become my assistant.' Kaiya said, breaking the silence, 'He'd make a good leader.'

'What?' Fuzasane frowned. '_Leader?_'

Kaiya bit her lip. 'I'm not going to remain here forever, you know it.'

'Then why-'

'I didn't want to leave aunt Ichika to continue to lead. Everyone hates hers, you said it yourself.'

'So what's the plan, genius? You're still the Alpha.'

'I know. If Kouta wants to in the first place, he'll become my assistant. I'll return to Konoha and leave him in charge. If he's good at it, I'll let him become Alpha. If he doesn't want to have anything to do with it, I'll look for someone else.'

Fuzasane sighed, standing up. 'You do you, Kaiya. You're in charge now. Just think well about what you do, okay?'

Kaiya nodded.

'I will.'

As she made her way to exit the tent, Fuzasane stopped for a moment as she turned her head around, looking at Kaiya from over her shoulder.

'I'll tell Kouta to come at you, okay?'

Kaiya nodded, again. "Okay.'

As soon as Fuzasane exited the tent, two people clothed in green entered in the tent, one of them the same age as Kaiya storming in excitedly, while the other one, in his mid-thirties, entering more calmly. The boy sat next to a startled Kaiya, before planting a kiss on her cheek.

'The ceremony was _amazing_!' Lee said, excitedly. 'Nothing like I've seen before. Not- Not even Lady Tsunade's ceremony of becoming Hokage!'

For a moment, Kaiya rubbed her eyes as she looked at the boy. 'Is that so?'

'Yes! Isn't it, Guy-sensei?'

'It is.' Guy stated calmly, as he sat cross-legged in front of Kaiya. 'It was definitely youthful. Also, the whole protocol! Your mother always specified who's whose daughter. Why is that?'

'Women are very valued in my family- especially mothers. They are all viewed with lots of respect as some sort of... _special _beings because their unique ability to give life. Many of my male cousins say that they wished they were born female to... to be capable to do that.'

As he listened, Guy's face relaxed. 'Interesting.'

'Eh.. Excuse me.' A voice said, shyly.

At the tent opening, a tall boy with similar facial features to Kaiya stood with a hesitant curiosity on his face.

'Kouta, right.' Kaiya said, remembering, as she turned to Lee and Guy. 'I would really appreciate if you would let me talk with my brother alone.'

'That's your-' Lee paused for a second, regaining control. He stood up. 'Right. Let's go, Guy-sensei.'

Guy nodded and, as they passed by Kouta, Lee muttered a _nice to meet you_ to Kouta, leaving him even more confused.

'Who _were_ they?' Kouta asked as he sat in front of Kaiya. 'Those weirdos.'

'Oh, the man's my sensei in Konoha, I told you about him.'

'The one that helped you become a shinobi? Guy?' Kouta raised an eyebrow.

'The very one. The other one, that boy's my teammate. He's... He's my boyfriend, actually.'

Kouta now raised both his eyebrows as he blinked in shock. He leaned back and raised one of his hands as if he signed _stop_.

'_That's_ your boyfriend?'

Kaiya nodded.

'You have a terrible taste, nee-chan.' Kouta put his legs together and leaned his head on his arms that stood over his knees.

'You just don't know him, that's it.' Kaiya scoffed.

'Anyway, what did you want to talk about? I'm sure it wasn't your love life.'

Kaiya snorted, amused.

'Don't worry, it isn't about that. I was wondering if you wanted to become my assistant. Alpha's assistant.'

Kaiya could swear that she's never seen her brother so surprised before, _ever. _

'Me? Ah-Alpha's as-assistant? Are you _insane_?'

'Last time I checked, I wasn't.' Kaiya shrugged. 'You're a great, qualified person that I trust. Besides, I won't be here most of the time, and you know it. People probably trust you more than they trust me.'

'Wait... so you won't remain?'

Kaiya bit her lip, regretting her words. 'I won't. I have my responsibilities in-'

'_You_ _promised_!' Kouta said in arousal. 'You promised loyalty only to the Kobayashi! To _us_!'

Kaiya said nothing, feeling how a wave of guilt hit her. Her brother couldn't understand the connections she made in Konoha and how she couldn't just leave it all behind. Yet... he was right, in a sense, and Kaiya knew it very well.

'When are you leaving?' Kouta asked, coldly.

'In two or three days, maybe.'

Kouta stood up. 'For one time, I actually hoped you'd stay and keep your promise. One time, Kaiya.'

And with that, he left the tent, leaving Kaiya alone. Her nose was burning as a tear rolled down her face onto the furs she was sitting on. It was a confusing moment- _she never cried_. Not because of her brother. Her brother and she had many arguments in the past, but none of them affected her the way this one did.

Maybe it was the self-consciousness and guilt on the matter that brewed it all into this result, but it was still an odd reaction. How could_ she_, the Alpha, cry?

But even Alphas have feelings.

For the rest of the day, Kaiya remained inside her tent, staring at the ceiling. It was true that her parents were worried, but no one dared to bother her.

When seeing Kouta storm out of the tent, Lee and Kiba realised that something was going down and that it was, perhaps, for the best if they'd just let Kaiya be alone for the moment. It was, but as night began to come around and Kaiya still gave no sign of willing to give any sign of existing, they realised that maybe things were worse than they thought.

Out of all people, Kouta was probably the most worried and affected by it. He felt happy with the offer but outraged at the fact that his sister would leave again. He didn't mind any post he got but hell, he just wanted his sister. With her gone all the time, it was just like she was in no better fate than his brother. _No, _he realised, _that's a terrible thought_. She's doing better mostly words thrown in anger- he didn't mean them. He knew that now, and he regretted it. But mostly, he was afraid of his sister's reaction to it.

'Hello?'

Kaiya's eyes lingered from the ceiling to the tent entrance. 'Hi.'

'I- You haven't come out in a long time, everyone's worried... Are you alright?' Lee asked.

'I've been better.'

Lee sighed. He entered the tent and lay on the furry ground, a meter or two away from Kaiya, as the girl's eyes followed him. 'Do you want to talk about it?'

'I don't know. My brother told me some stuff, that's it.'

Lee nodded. 'Hm. Mean stuff?'

'Not necessarily, but I, eh... Look what the deal is. I've become these people's leader, and they want me to remain here. I understand it perfectly, but I can't just leave Konoha behind, and now everyone's pissed.'

'By _they_, you mean...'

'_Yes_, my brother.'

Lee didn't say anything, as he thought for a while. 'Don't be too angry him. I mean, how would you react if Lady Hokage would be gone all the time?'

'I know, but I'm not Lady Hokage! I didn't even want to be Alpha. I'm trying to get these things settled without triggering people, but if my brother won't listen, I-'

'Calm down, think about it. Your brother seemed really worried today after he talked to you. Try again to come to terms with him and if you can't come to terms with him, just choose someone else.'

'If it was only that simple, Lee. I gambled everything on my brother accepting.'

'That's not a very youthful plan.' Lee commented, under his breath.

'Shut up.' Kaiya groaned as she turned with her back at the boy. 'I don't know about you, but I'm honestly exhausted. Aren't you tired?'

'A little.'

'Lucky you, I guess'

Lee smiled a little to himself. He had no right to judge the girl's attitude. Yes, she wasn't very nice, but she wasn't going through the best time of her life either. The best thing he could do at the moment gives her time, respect and support. Lee stood up in a sitting position. Kaya turned her head around and locked eyes with him.

'You know, you can remain here overnight if you want.'

'Really?' Lee asked, wide-eyed. 'But isn't this the Alpha's tent?'

'Yes. If the Alpha wants, their partner can use this tent as well.'

Lee smiled, as he laid back down, on his back. 'That's nice.'

'Yeah.' Kaiya smiled in return, before making herself comfortable again in her bed. 'It is.'

'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight. I love you.'

'I love you, too.'

**A/N**

**Hello, everyone! How's everything going?**

**Here we are, with an extra long chapter of 4.6K of words! I must say, I really enjoyed writing this part, as we got to bring Temon** **back and give him some closure, and we took a deeper look into the Kobayashi traditions and stories! Also, we got to see a little** **of Kaiya's relationship with Lee, which is now officiall g. **

**In the future chapters, I'll bring some temporary closure with the Kobayashi and look into the aftermath of Pain's attack in Konoha. What do you guys think?**


	20. 20 A meeting with a special one

'Again.'

Kaiya transformed into a wolf, her body aching terribly. She's been transforming back and forth between a human and a wolf for three hours now with no stop, and the need to rest began to demand attention harder and harder with each transformation. Before she knew it, she transformed back into human. _Pain._

Her face was red as a tomato, as her body was drenched in sweat. Kaiya let herself lay on her back on the cold ground. Her father sighed.

She asked him to train and help her master her transformation, but it was more challenging than he thought. It was much easier with that Taka kid. But to put it fairly, that kid was trained day and night for it ever since he was born. Everything done to him was for that purpose. While Kaiya... she was never really forced into anything on the matter, and her losing interest in her clan didn't really help much, either. It only so happened that her body became more resistant, and something triggered her to transform.

'No, don't sit down, Kaiya. You'll make the cramps worse,' he said, as he pulled the girl up back on her feet. 'Let's take a lap to the Spirit Seer house and back, walk for a few minutes, and then we can sit down. It'll help avoid some of the pain, trust me.'

Kaiya let out a light puff, as she began running, slowly. The house wasn't any further than a kilometer, but in her current state, even two hundred meters seemed much. Even so, Kaiya pushed off as many negative thoughts as she could.

She _needed _to become stronger. Not for her clan, not for her pride, but for herself. She could not, under any circumstance, risk to die again and rely on others to keep her alive. She wasn't depending on her life on others. If she would be doing that, would she be even living? If that were the case, what would happen if there was no one for her?

'So how's being an Alpha?' Her father asked as they jogged through the forest.

'Odd, may I say. When I came, everyone treated me as, well, _me_, you know? The Kaiya they always knew. But after I became Alpha, even people who were born only a few months apart from me treat me as if I'm some deity.'

'Well, you _are_ the Alpha who won their place rightfully. You fought someone who was trained to be Alpha since birth and won, and... let this be only between us, but your aunt Ichika didn't necessarily do a good representation of what an Alpha should be. She did everything for the clan, yes, but she never really considered what the clan would want to _change_. She's a bit odd, your aunt. Most people are very much glad that you ended her ruling.'

'Most?' Kaiya hummed.

'Oh you know, out of ten people, not all of them will agree with each other on some things. Same thing here. Even if the majority disliked Ichika, there were still people who liked her. Fanatics, really. I wouldn't get anything to do with them for anything.'

'Hm.'

For a while, neither of them said anything.

'Dad,' Kaiya said, hesitantly.

'Yeah?'

'I was thinking, actually. Maybe I'm doing better than aunt Ichika, but that doesn't mean I'm fit to be Alpha.'

'What do you mean?'

'I've spent _years _away from home. Actually, I've spent as good as half my life away from this clan, with hardly any visits. I became a shinobi and I swore loyalty to Konoha. I can't leave it all behind just because I suddenly became Alpha.'

'Oh yeah,' Kaito said, softly, 'You didn't plan on becoming Alpha did you?'

'Uh-uh,' Kaiya shook her head. 'Maybe when I was little, but those were just some _what-if _fantasies, not plans or dreams I wanted to follow. I tried talking to Kouta the other day- I thought he'd make a good Alpha.'

'And?'

'Disaster. He was _pissed _that I'd leave again.'

'Kaiya, please understand not to be too harsh on him on this. He suffered just as much as you when Jun died. But he chose to stay. Not too long after Jun died, you left too. There wasn't much hope for you to be found again, you know? The hunters lost your track after a while, and they said that you were a lost cause. That you were still a kid with no experience, and that you're probably never to be found again, which meant that your fate was most likely to die from hunger, coldness, or sickness. Maybe even killed, like Jun. For Kouta, he lost both his brother _and _sister. After you came back, he was happy like never before, only for you to leave again, with clearly no intention returning, probably for good. I guess he felt betrayed, in away. His sister's home was here, with the Kobayashi. With her family That's what he said, I think.'

Kaiya bit her lip.

'My loyalty still belongs to Konoha, and I'm afraid it'll remain like this. If Kouta wants me back, he'll have to go through hell and back in order to make me return definitively. With or without loyalty, Konoha is a second family to me. It was painful to leave you all behind when I was 8, and it would be just the same if I'm to abandon Konoha.'

'I understand. Try to talk with him again, Kaiya. Maybe he starts to understand your point of view as well.'

Kaito wasn't stupid. He knew his son very well, and Kaiya's life choices weren't an uncommon topic between them. Kaito insisted on Kouta to respect his sister and her choices and, if possible, to make and attempt and understand why she made those choices. It was quite a brainstorm that required time and communication, but Kouta was making genuine progress. Kaito thought that the thing that would end Kouta's restlessness would be talking openly with Kaiya. Even if both of them could be stubborn on some things and topics, he trusted both his children to have the capability to hold a discussion calmly and respectfully, even if they didn't agree.

'I'll try to do so,' Kaiya said between tired, heavy breaths, 'Just so you know if he makes a scene again, I'm not opening the subject ever again.'

Kaito shrugged. 'So be it. It's a problem between you two, so I'm not going to get involved with more than advice. No sides picking or whatsoever.'

As the two reached the Spirit Seer house, something caught Kaiya's eyes, making her stop from sprinting. A boy around the age of nine with short hair in a dark shade of blue was watering some plants that surrounded the house.

'Oi, Riku-kun!'

The boy bolted up and spun around immediately, dropping the metallic watering pot he was holding. He walked to Kaiya and her father and bowed.

'Good afternoon, Kaiya-san, Kaito-sama. Thank you for coming. It is a pleasure to have you here.'

Kaiya puffed a little in amusement. _The boy was just too much respect._

'How are you, Riku?' Kaiya asked as the boy stood up straight.

'Excellent! I just arrived here yesterday evening. I thought nobody would come except for me so I thought that I'd make sure everything's fine, but it seems like you paid a visit as well, two days ago. You weren't alone, though.'

Kaiya looked down at the boy, tensing up, making sure the boy got her message. She didn't know if her father knew about the _thing. _

'Kaiya, what did you do?' Kaito asked in suspicion, seeing the girl's tensing.

'Nothing.'

'Maybe I'm mistaken, but it wasn't Fuzasane-sama or Kouta-san, eh-' Riku began, only to be cut off by Kaiya.

'_Shush_!' Kaiya hissed. 'I'll tell you later, dad.'

Kaito blinked hard, keeping his eyes shut for a moment. 'Alright.'

Kaiya sighed lightly, in relief. In comparison with her mother, her father had a better developed respectful consideration when it came to Kaiya's wishes. Yes, both of her parents cared and respected Kaiya, but, in a way, Kaito managed to do it in a less nosy-protective way. Kaiya appreciated it.

'So, all good? Everything's fine?' Kaiya asked Riku.

'Yes.' Riku shrugged. 'The floor on the second floor is a bit sketchy and old, though. I might ask my sister to come and help me change them next spring, or summer. If you can, you should come as well. If you can.'

'I'll see what I can do. How are your Spirit Seer abilities? Do the ghosts listen to you?'

'So-so. I can communicate with them and most of them listen when I ask them something, but there are still a few who don't listen. I still can't summon, though.'

'There are always some pesky ghosts. They're still human, in a sense, you know? About summoning... don't stress too much. It's really complicated. I can't do it, either.'

Summoning was a term known by all Spirit Seers. It was a Jutsu that allowed the user to summon ghosts in a physical appearance, visible to normal people and with the ability to move like a living person. It could be easily seen as a version of the Reanimation Jutsu, but without necessarily forcing the dead to come into the living world, and with a free will.

To put it simply, a Spirit Seer would open a 'door' into the world of the dead. A spirit could go through it and join the world of the living, still in a physical form, if they wished to, but with a slightly weaker body. They could be killed easier than a living person. The tricky part was, however, a good chakra reserve, a good chakra control, and an immensely good control over the Spirit Seer abilities. For Kaiya, she was doing fine with her chakra reserves, but, as much as she wished, her Spirit Seer abilities were only a little above average, whatever the average was when the elders talked about it.

'Yeah. It's frustrating, really. I wish I could just _talk_ to my father.' Riku said, with exasperation in his voice.

Kaiya bit her lower lip. Riku's father died when he was really young and the fact that the people in his clan continued to talk about his father and compare him to his father took its toll on the boy. In a way, Kaiya understood how the boy felt. He needed closure, a clarification for himself. He just wanted to see what his father thought and _why_ people were praising him so much. He just wanted to be himself, yet he was burdened with a history of predecessors he was never meant to meet.

'It'll all come together if you do your best. At some point, you'll find an answer.' Kaiya said, quietly. 'Believe me.'

Kaiya exchanged looks with her father for one moment, before eventually excusing herself to Riku, in order to the basecamp. As they returned, the two didn't run anymore, choosing to take a walk instead.

'Well?' Kaito asked.

'Hm? Oh yeah, about that. You know Lee right?'

'That weird boy dressed in green?'

Kaiya snorted lightly, in amusement. At first glance, Lee could be easily be labelled as odd. It was all a matter of getting accustomed to him and his personality that one would start to get the real essence of the boy.

'That one. I don't know if mom told you, but, eh... he's my boyfriend.'

'Oh. So he's the one?'

Kaiya smiled a little. 'I guess you could say that, yes.'

'He better treat you well. I'll talk to him later and _if I find_ _anything_ to tell me that he isn't treating you right, I'll grind his gums, I swear.'

Kaito's comments couldn't do anything but amuse Kaiya. Her father was protective, but she didn't mind one bit. She knew that if something was to happen, her father would always be there for her and have her back. In many ways, it was comforting and assuring.

'Thanks, dad.'

'Don't worry. If anyone in Konoha bothers you in any way at all, you can always come to me, ok?'

'Sure.'

Kaiya bit her lip. In a way, she wanted to tell her father more about her time in the ANBU, more than the positive things. The way some people acted with her because of her ancestors, and the things said around it. Pretty mean stuff, but Kaiya couldn't bring herself to do it. Even with her father's good intentions, some things were never meant for other people's ears.

As the two entered the basecamp, it seemed like they came at the right moment, as Fuzasane and a few other people were preparing something to eat.

'Just in time. Kaito,' Fuzasane called out, 'could you please bring some deer meat? Kaiya-chan, please bring three buckets of water from the river. The buckets are here.'

Kaito and Kaiya nodded. As Kaiya went to get the buckets, she couldn't help but hear one of the women's comments.

'Fuzasane-chan, putting the Alpha to _work_? She's supposed to reign over us, not serve us!'

'Akane-san.' Fuzasane let out a deep sigh. 'Alpha or not, she's still my daughter. If anything, she listens to _me_. Besides, it doesn't even work. It is to be expected of her to do something like this?'

'Hm?'

The women who were preparing the food along with Fuzasane couldn't help but wonder. On the other hand, Kaiya understood her mother perfectly.

'While people hail the Alpha only so much,' she explained, 'the Alpha has, in fact, the lowest position in the clan. They must always put the clan's problems before themselves. A true Alpha doesn't sleep when the clan is unrestful, and the true Alpha won't take a single bite of food if their clan is starving. Bringing some water for you to use to cook- it's one of the seemingly insignificant things an Alpha has to do. Excuse me now.'

Kaiya took the buckets and turned around and walked through the field, to where the river was located.

A young woman that was helping Fuzasane sighed. 'How did you raise such a smart kid, Fuzasane-san? _My_ son won't even listen to me!"

'Talk to them. You'd be surprised how much a small child can understand.'

The woman frowned a little. 'Fuzasane-san, my son won't _listen-_'

'Then you don't approach and talk to him in the correct manner. You're young, and with your first child. Believe me, I think I'd know some things on this topic. I raised three children, and they're all different.'

The young woman lowered her head a little, returning her focus on cleaning the meat. 'Yes, Fuzasane-san.'

Kaiya filled the two buckets in no time. As she was returning to the basecamp, the weight in one of her hands lightened until there was no weight left to carry.

'Let me help you.'

Kaiya looked at her helper, surprised. 'Kouta. Thanks.'

This was the first time he truly approached her and engaged in a conversation ever since their argument. Kaiya knew that they'd have to start talking again, eventually. She just didn't expect him to be willing to get back on track as usual so soon. Not after what her father told her.

_Not too long after Jun died, you left too. For Kouta, he lost both his brother __**and**__ sister... they said that you were a lost cause. You're probably never to be found again, and your fate was most likely to die from hunger, coldness, or sickness._

Kaiya shook her head a little, coming back to reality.

'Hey, Kaiya, about what I said after your coronation...' Kouta paused for a moment.

'What is it?'

'I... I'm not sorry for what I said, but I'm sorry for being so rude to you. I upset you, and that was never my intention. I was very upset as well, and I didn't know how to express my feelings correctly.'

Kaiya took a moment to take in the boy's words.

'Thank you for your apology. I appreciate it.'

Silence crept between the siblings for a moment.

'So... will you forgive me?'

Kaiya pursed her lips as she kicked a pebble.

'I will, but please listen to what I say and well next time. I thought about what you said, and the whole situation, too. Your anger is justified, I'm not bothered at all because you feel like that. Just... let's talk in a different manner next time, okay?'

Kouta nodded in approval. 'You should really consider remaining as an Alpha. You'd lead us well.'

Kaiya sighed.

'I can't. Even so, even if I don't necessarily want it, it's my obligation to play my part in this clan. I will, but not as an Alpha. I want to help these people get on a better path, and the first step is changing the mentality, I think. How to do that? The Alpha. I got rid aunt Ichika, which is a great step, and, since I don't plan on remaining, now I need a successor.'

'Are you still thinking of me as an Alpha?'

'Yeah, but I'm a little hesitant now. I hoped you'd accept, but seeing your reaction when-'

'I will.' Kouta said, not missing a beat. 'I want to lead these people into a better future than the one aunt Ichika promised.'

Kaiya took a moment to assimilate what Kouta said.

'Good.' She nodded. 'You'll still have to beat me, though. Good luck with that.'

Kouta pursed his lips. 'You won't give your best in it, will you? I won't stand a single chance, then.'

'We'll see about that.' Kaiya smiled, as she sped up a little. 'Let's hurry, though. Before mom gives us both no chance to fight.'

'Hn.'

The two sped up through the forest until they found themselves back into the bubbly, chatty sphere of the basecamp. They brought the buckets to Fuzasane, who gave them an affectionate smile in return. Seeing the two together, it couldn' make Fuzasane anything but happy. Just like when they were little and they'd do everything together. When they were all together, and none of this happened. _All three of them._

The afternoons were always a nice moment in the Kobayashi clan. Every member would come to the basecamp and talk to each other while eating something. It helped the members bond with each other and, even with the various divergences, nobody complained about it. Everyone needed a break, and it was always nice to spend it with your friends and relatives.

The atmosphere was joyful most of the time, especially in times like this. Taking advantage of her place as an Alpha, Kaiya changed one or two things in the clan, much to everyone's happiness.

First of all, she allowed the hunters to go hunting in a larger area, as far as they wished, as long as they kept a good distance from villages. During Ichika's reign, all children had to go through some training and testing in order to see if they were fit to be hunters. The ones that were seen as fit could continue as various types of hunters, and the ones that didn't were assigned various tasks and jobs around the basecamps, such as building and repairing tents, taking care of the animals that were brought by the hunters, working with the furs and skins or, if they had a knack for it, become healers.

Kaiya didn't fully agree with the judgment behind it. She requested that no child should be forced to learn how to hunt from a young age unless they want to or the clan is truly in need of more hunters. This brought immense relief to many parents, especially worried mothers of children with warm hearts.

During the now cool noon hours one day, Kaiya was sitting with one of her cousins, chatting as they enjoyed some food, which now mainly consisted of various plants. It was already November, which meant that the animals would begin to prepare for the upcoming coldness and search for shelter, just like the Kobayashi. That all meant one thing: The prey would become rarer, and the people had to start preserving food. Nobody liked it, but everyone knew there was no other option, so they tried to make the best of it. Even with the occasional shrivelling wind, the day could be considered a nice one. _The weather could only go downhill from now_., everyone thought.

'Kaiya!_ Hey, Kaiya!_'

Kaiya and her cousin turned around, confused about who was so eager to call for the girl, to see Kouta approaching the two at a fast pace. He stopped with a halt as soon as he reached them.

'Kaiya, I want to fight with you for the title of Alpha.' He said under his breath. 'I'm ready. Please.'

**A/N**

**Hello, everyone! How are you guys doing?**

**Here we are with chapter 20! Quite a chunk of writing, isn't it? I really enjoyed writing it, to be honest with y'all. With this chapter done, we are almost finished with the Kobayashi Alpha arc (this one, for the confused souls), and there's only about half a chapter left until its completion. With that being said, I'll cover the things that are left in this arc in the next chapter and bring Kaiya back to Konoha and move on with the canon arcs. What do y'all think?**

**Also, I'm really happy to introduce you all to Riku, the other Spirit Seer! He's going to make some more appearances later in the story (In the Fourth Shinobi War, I think), along with his family branch. I think he's a really cool character, I really like him. Maybe I should write about him in the short story (more like the spin off) about Kaiya's childhood. What do you guys think of him?**

**Oh yeah! Speaking of the spin off with Kaiya's childhood. I'm planning on writing it soon. I personally find it interesting to write a 10-15-ish chapter book that covers more of what happened through Kaiya's childhood, the traditions and culture within the Kobayashi clan, and some appearances of the other family branches, like Riku's clan.**

**One last thing: I've decided to publish the chapters in this book weekly, during the weekend. I've been having one or two chapters finished in my drafts and I don't like to keep you guys waiting for too long, so I guess there'll be a weekly chapter. Any delays will be announced on my page and in the last published chapter.**

**See you guys in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	21. 21 Discussions of plans

'No.'

The answer came very quickly. Kaiya didn't need to think about it much when the question came. If the same question would've been put to her a day or two ago, things might've been different, but she has been thinking over the topic for some time now. Ever since her brother's refusal, things have changed in her perspective.

'Why not?' Kouta asked, wide-eyed. He didn't see this coming. He was so sure that the answer would be positive, this outcome felt surreal. 'I'm-'

'Please come with me for a moment.' Kaiya said, as she took Kouta away, in a more quiet area of the basecamp, where people were at a good distance from them. She lowered her voice, careful for it not to reach anyone's ears except for Kouta's. 'Look, kid. You're not ready yet. You think I'd hold back when fighting you because I'm your sister, don't you? You think I'll give my post as an Alpha away easily just because I didn't want it in the first place.'

Kouta looked at her hesitantly. She did want to do that... didn't she? _From where did the change of perspective come? How?_

'I admit I wanted to do that but then someone told me: If I just give the post out so easily, how sure would I be that the next Alpha would be a good one? Would I be able to live with that on consciousness? The answers are zero per cent due to blind guessing and trusting, and no. You would definitely not stand a chance against Taka, I know that for sure. I had a hard time with him, but I won. If you can't stand against him, how are you supposed to stand against me?'

Kouta said nothing, looking down at his feet instead, embarrassment flowing through red waves on his face.

'I could let you become my assistant without much fuss, that, yes. However, if you want to be the next Alpha, please come at me when you can transform into a wolf.'

Kouta raised his head and looked at his sister dead in the eyes.

'Since when do you care so much about the clan?' He asked.

'Ever since I realized that it's also my responsibility, no matter how much I try to deny and ignore it. If I manage to do this to an end, I might as well have paid my debt to the clan for the rest of my life.'

Kouta let out a light sigh.

'Make me your assistant. I'll lead this clan with the price of my life and, when you'll come back, I'll prove myself worthy as your opponent and successor.'

Kaiya smiled lightly. It was nothing surprising, not if the boy was determined. And as far as Kaiya could see, Kouta was now more than determined to become Alpha. That was a particularly good trait to have as an Alpha.

'Good.' She said. 'You do have the capabilities to be an assistant.'

Kouta's face enlightened. He didn't become Alpha, but it was temporary, he knew that. If he managed to become an assistant and hold on to Kaiya's place while she was gone, he was just as good as an Alpha, and he could gain some useful knowledge and skill on how to rule.

The process of naming an assistant is very similar to the one of naming an Alpha. The current Alpha would call the entire clan to come together, explain that there will be chosen as a new assistant. Then, the Alpha would proceed to name the maternal heritage of both themselves and the assistant, before 'crowning' the person they chose with the title of assistant.

On the matter of the tents, while the Alpha was forced by law to live inside the big tent, an assistant could choose for a normal tent, or a tent of a size that's larger than a normal tent, but not as big as the Alpha den.

Nobody was displeased with Kouta becoming the Alpha's assistant, though. They were much more accustomed to him and many people who venerated Ichika as the Alpha now learned that they had to just let it flow. There was no way Ichika would reign again, and they knew that. They all knew, Ichika supporters or not.

The afternoon passed quietly by, allowing the evening to settle in without any major incidents. Late in the evening, sometime after supper, Kaiya found herself talking with four individuals in her den about things of more importance she planned to.

'So what are you going to do now?' Kouta asked Kaiya as he analyzed Lee and Guy, who were sitting by Kaiya's side and then Kiba, who was sitting somewhere between him and the trio facing him. 'Since I became the assistant? You're not obliged to sit here anymore if you don't want to.'

Kaiya shrugged. 'I'll return to Konoha. I've been- I mean, _we've_ been absent for a week now, and when I left, my situation wasn't the best.'

'What do you mean?' Kouta squinted his eyes.

'I've been in the ANBU, the special corps, for a while now, maybe a month or so, I'm not sure. But right before I came, I left the ANBU.'

_'You left the ANBU?_' Lee asked, surprised.

'Oh, it was about _time_, man!' Kiba said. 'I couldn't stand it!'

'Please elaborate, Kiba-kun.' Kouta said, turning his attention to his cousin.ț

'She wasn't herself.' Kiba said in full honesty. 'She was always so tense like someone would jump at her neck to kill her at any given moment, so secretive all the time, blabbering all about assassinations on three nations away, and acting like she's better than me. It's stupid.'

'I didn't act like I'm better than you!' Kaiya retored, pissed by the boy's remarks. 'And of course, I'm secretive! The ANBU doesn't want me to talk about-'

'_Then don't talk about it!_' Kiba snapped. 'It's not that hard. Why did you even leave the ANBU? Was it _too hard_-'

'Oh wow, at least I've got skills that were recognized by Lady Hokage, unlike _some of us_-'

'You begged-'

'I didn't, you-'

'Then why did you leave? Sure as hell you didn't just decide to go out that door one morning and never go back.'

Within a millisecond, Kaiya's faced relaxed, leaving any kind of emotion behind. Her cheek twitched. She didn't tell anyone about her leave from the Anbu until then. Kiba's reaction wasn't necessarily reassuring, but it reminded her in a way that she wasn't in such a special position as she would sometimes think. Even so, talking about her choice to leave the ANBU was still odd. She didn't tell anyone about her leaving the Anbu. Not Lee, not her mother, no one. It meant that she would have to go in more depth and explain how Danzo asked her to join the Root, and then, after her refusal, he forced her then-boyfriend to kill her. Which led to a failed assassination and, after the usual pressure of being a Hatake, it eventually make her snap and leave the post vacant. Everything happened very quickly. She managed to process everything better ever since she came back to the Kobayashi basecamp, but she didn't know if she wanted to talk about it yet. Still, the people around her needed... no, they didn't need it. They _wanted_ more information. It was odd, but what would she have to lose? _She could trust them with this_, Kaiya thought. _Maybe this was a good option._

Guy sighed, lightly. He and Kakashi have known each other from a young age- they practically grew up together, and he had seen what Kakashi was like when he wa_s _in the ANBU_. _He was more closed off than Kaiya was, but it was understandable from an analyzing point of view. After his father's death and the people's remarks and expectations, Kakashi lost his trust in people. He confined his emotions and turned himself into an emotionless killing machine that wouldn't do anything but what the shinobi code asked to. He was scared of any relationships with people for the fear of losing them, it wasn't rocket science for Guy to understand nowadays. Kakashi lost people again and again and again, proving his point repeatedly. That part of his life, not only his childhood but the ANBU, it's always been a more sensitive subject for Kakashi, no matter how he tried to play it off. The ANBU had nothing but bad memories to offer. How different could it be for Kaiya?

'How did it happen?' He asked, careful.

Kaiya looked at Guy and made an attempt to leave some of her tensity behind but to no use. Her cheek twitched, before looking back at her brother.

'Well, it all started a day or so before I came back here. One of the Konoha elders made an attempt to assassinate me.'

'They- they _what_?' Kouta chocked on his words, as he tensed along with everyone in the room.

'They wanted to kill you?' Kiba frowned. 'Like, _kill-kill_ you? What did you even do?'

'Don't tell mom or dad about this. Or anyone. Please.' Kaiya added, quickly.

'Why?' Kouta asked.

'They'd come to Konoha and make a scene. It's not necessary. It would cause me more trouble than I need.'

'But-'

'_No._ I already have enough problems.'

Kouta frowned, as he leaned back a little as he mumbled something about the assassination and _not a joke, Kaiya_.

'Who wanted to kill you, Kaiya?' Guy asked.

'Danzo-sama. He requested one of my teammates in the ANBU-'

'Your boyfriend.' Kiba corrected.

Kaiya pursed her lips. Was that commentary really necessary? Sometimes, she felt like she could kill Kiba with her bare hands and she'd have no regrets for doing it. _At least then he'd shut up._

'My _then-boyfriend_ was commanded to kill me. Danzo said that I could die by either my ex's hand or by his own hand. My ex-boyfriend decided that this could happen by his hand if it was inevitable. He couldn't do it, I made a reclamation to Lady Hokage who was ready to throw hands with Danzo, but she didn't. Then there was a meeting where this dude was attacking me verbally and later physically about Sakumo-san, I got pissed and quit my post in the ANBU, and then I saw Kakashi-san who was dead on the ground, yadda yadda, and I came. Then Taka started bugging me with his bullshit of marrying him, and y'all know the story from there.'

Nobody said nothing for a few moments. Those were plenty of events in... in how much time did they all take place, actually?

'And all that happened in the span of...?' Kiba questioned.

'Approximately twenty-four hours. A day.'

Kouta pursed his lips. His sister got two death threats, before having to put herself on the verge of death again. 'Kaiya, are you alright?'

'Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess so.'

Kouta looked at Kaiya disapprovingly. 'You're not fine. I see it on you. Why are you lying to me? I care about you. I want to help you any way I can. I'm not mum or dad, you know that.'

Kaiya felt how she began tearing up on the inside. She didn't know why, but she couldn't take reassurings like that with a straight face. It didn't take long before it began obviously to the others. Her eyes stung and her face burned like never before. She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths in, but to no use.

'Are- Oh, look what you did!' Kiba exclaimed. 'Good job, Kouta, she's crying.'

'I'm fine.' Kaiya insisted as she opened her eyes up wide, trying to cool them off by creating a bit of a breeze with her hands. Her voice was shaking. _Great._

'People who are fine don't cry.' Lee said. 'You've been through a lot and it's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes. If you want to talk about it, we're all here for you. No matter what.'

Kaiya wiped down the tears that began falling from her eyes.

'It's just that,' she gulped, 'even though no one says it, there are many expectations put on me from everyone, even people whom I've never met, ever since it was revealed that Kakashi-san is my biological father. I don't even have anything against or towards him. I've hardly even talked to him, and people are like, _'Wow, you're really like your father.',_ like I'm supposed to know how that is.

Kaiya paused for a moment to wheeze slightly at the thought.

'Then, things got even worse when people began to see Sakumo-san in me.'

'Who?' Kouta raised an eyebrow.

'Kakashi-san's father. He was an elite like dad, that committed suicide after breaking a shinobi rule by cancelling a mission and saving his colleagues' lives.'

'So the shinobi rules say that you have to put the mission over someone's life? That's really stupid.'

'And a little hypocritical too, taking how much they talk about the value of teamwork and friends if you think about it. With his quite tragic backstory and amazing skills, there were even more expectations of me, and quite some gossip, especially in the ANBU. There were comments coming at me, comments like 'Don't be like your grandfather.', or 'Do you know what your grandfather did?'. Some of them would even have the audacity to come and ask how I happen to be born and how I was conceived like they don't know already from the rumours. _Tch_.'

'They said all that to you?' Guy asked, shocked. 'That's so rude!'

'_I know_! Like, what's even so hard to understand? My biological father met my mother when he was fourteen and my mum was thirteen, stuff happened and bing-bada-bonk I appeared. And then my biological father left and proceeded to never come back. Wow. My adoptive father, or simply, my _father_, if I may, was very kind to my mother and me and he was very supportive when my mother was pregnant with me and later when I was born, he and my mum fell in love, they got married and had my little brothers. What an equation, isn't it?' Kaiya asked, sarcastically.

She found it odd how relieving it was to feel so reassured by someone and have them listen to something that's been bothering you for some time. It made her relax and put her thoughts in order. Kouta snorted.

'Never heard an equation like this before, _no sir_.' he joked.

It seemed like the joke had a positive effect, as it brought a chuckle from both Kaiya and Kiba.

'Say, Kaiya, um, I have a really odd question right now. While we're on the topic.' Lee said.

'How bad can it be? Shoot.'

'So, um, when you were little... did you... y'know, did you know that your father is your adoptive father?'

Kaiya laughed, taking Lee by surprise. She seemed genuinely amused. It was pretty confusing for Lee- she couldn't be laughing at something other than his question and, thing was, he couldn't find his question funny in any shape or form.

'Of course! I always knew. It wasn't some sort of secret. _No, we can't let Kaiya know she's a half-blood in any way. _' Kaiya limited a man's voice, only to laugh once again for a few moments before calming down enough to keep a straight face. 'My mum had my brothers with the man I call my father and had me with someone else, but my brothers' dad was my dad, too. There was never any difference between me and my siblings based on who our fathers were. None that I felt, anyway. I had a mum and a dad, so it was fine for me.'

'But some people commented sometimes.' Kouta said.

'Yeah, they did. Nobody can help it, though. It's natural to happen.'

'So you were never curious about who your real father was?' Guy asked.

'A little bit, sometimes, but my mother always pushed the subject away so I never insisted. I didn't return to that subject until after I left. For all I knew, he lived in Konoha, wherever that might be.'

'So you wanted to look for him.' Guy stated. 'Why?'

'I became curious about the ancestry I have that's beyond the Kobayashi, and which places I might belong to. I thought that my mother couldn't stop me then.'

'Well, she didn't.' Kiba said. 'You did it. You found your father. Did you plan to leave after you found him?'

'I don't know what I planned to do after. I don't think I had any plans. I'd look for my father and then... with God ahead of us we go. But while I was in Konoha, I guess I got attached and... I didn't want to leave that place regardless if I found my father or not.'

'We got attached, too.' Lee said.

'Hm?' Kaiya hummed. Just as they began to return to their normal temperature, her cheeks pulled out the Uno reverse card and they began heating back up. She heard what the boy said very well, but she wanted to hear it one more time as if to confirm what he said.

'Nothing.' Lee shook his head. His own comment made him insecure enough not to repeat it.

All of a sudden, a deep, loud yawn escaped Kiba.

'Man, I should really be going to bed. I'm _exhausted_.' He said, getting up on his feet. 'I wonder what time it is. Like, eleven pm?'

'Something like that.' Kaiya confirmed, nodding.

'It was nice talking to ya. I would've stayed more, really, but I feel my eyes shutting off. Bye.'

'Bye.'

As the topic was closed and nothing else important was left to look upon, the small group moved onto talking about nothing and everything, jumping from one topic to the other until Kouta and Guy eventually left as well, leaving Kaiya and Lee alone. Kaiya lay down on her back on the thick layers of furs that served her as bed. For a while, neither of them said anything- as Kaiya stared off into space, Lee rummaged absently the tent with his eyes.

'Are you sleeping?' Lee asked.

'No. Why?'

'You're my girlfriend, right?'

This question couldn't do anything but make Kaiya feel a little cautious.

'Yeah.'

'And I'm your boyfriend.'

Kaiya frowned a little as she analysed Lee's face. He wasn't looking at her but at the ground, his face fairly emotionless, with tints of expectancy.

'Yeah, you're my boyfriend, and I'm your girlfriend. What's with this all of a sudden?'

Lee took a deep breath in as he moved his eyes from the ground to the ceiling.

'It's just that... I always imagined that when I'll have a girlfriend, we'd do things together. It doesn't have to be particularly romantic or anything, but just, do something. But ever since, you know, we became a couple, we've hardly talked. We didn't talk so little even before we came here. Did I do something wrong?'

Kaiya's face softened as she felt her heart drop. Instinctively, she got up in a sitting position and grabbed his hand, taking the boy by surprise, making him turn his head and look at her.

'This was a very messy and confusing week for me, that's it. You did nothing wrong. We'll go back to Konoha. Tomorrow. Once we're back, we can do things together, okay?'

A shy smile appeared on Lee's face. 'Thank you.'

Kaiya puffed in amusement as she pulled Lee into a hug, his head resting on her shoulder. 'Don't thank me. We're in this together.'

She didn't think much of being in a relationship until recently, and somehow, she still didn't know what to expect for sure. Even if she had a relationship in the past, it wasn't until that particular moment that it hit her how much of a two-sided thing that it was. Both sides needed to care and put a little effort every now and then during tough moments to get things right. Without that, a relationship would never work well.

It could feel tough for someone who grew up to be solitary, but Kaiya didn't want to give up on it. She felt happy in that relationship- the boy loved her, and she wanted to love him back, and no one else.

_**A/N**_

**Hello, everyone! **

**How's everyone doing?**

**So. For those of you guys who checked out my profile page the other day, y'all might as well know why this chapter is delayed. For those of you guys who don't, then here's why.**

**I'm in the middle of my exams period before the Christmas holidays and the last 7 days had me like **

**So yeah. And I thought 'Dude I have exams on Monday ****_and _****Tuesday, I'll probs** **won't be able to update until after the exams.' But I haven't written in over a week (I usually write every day or every other day) and it hurt me and I carved so much to write that I literally sat my ass down last evening and wrote a few hundred words between 11 PM and 12:30 AM. I eventually finished this chapter this morning with another pack of like 500-ish words and here we are.**

**What did you guys think of this chapter?**

**It's low key long AF with 3.5K words, but it's become the norm for me to write this many words per chapter in this book tbh.**

**Oh yeah, btw, if you guys are interested in various updates about my books, in writing and studying** **tips and if you guys want to get more in contact with me, check out my Instagram account! My username there is Averyloves2write, just like here. **

**As usual, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!**

**-Avery**


	22. 22 Returning

The next morning, as dawn made itself present in the sky, people began to wake up and stare in wonder at the thick layer of snow that has been laying itself on the ground over night.

Remembering what her son told her last evening, Fuzasane made her way shivering towards the Alpha's tent quietly.

'Hey Kaiya, Kouta said...' Fuzasane said softly as she pushed the tent's door made out of skin to the side, only to stop in her tracks at the sight.

It was an oddly new way she saw Kaiya- she was cradled in the arms of the boy in the green jumpsuit under a thick layer of furs, both of them still deeply asleep.

Fuzasane blinked a few times as she looked at the two for a few moments. Eventually, she sighed as she left the tent. Both of them looked so peaceful at the moment that she didn't have the heart to wake them up yet. _It_ _was still very early_, she thought,_ they could enjoy another bit of time asleep._

They did, but much to Fuzasane's displeasure, Kaiya made a remark of not waking her up earlier. People were surprised by Kaiya's choice to return to Konoha and leave Kouta in charge, but not shocked. In a way or another, people knew that remaining inside the clan wasn't an option for Kaiya for a very long time now, no matter the position or surroundings. Whenever someone had the guts to ask Fuzasane why Kaiya would ever choose the village that caused the clan harm, Fuzasane would simply answer with the simple statements that her daughter shouldn't bother to explain to people the reasoning behind her happiness if they would only tear it down, and that even so, without Konoha's influences in the past, the Kobayashi wouldn't be the same as they are now.

The small group of four people packed everything they needed -along with some gifts from the Kobayashi, after many insistences- and left. Oddly, the way back to Konoha was quiet, and the thought of leaving her clan behind yet again wasn't necessarily easy for Kaiya. Her brother was taking the lead in her place. It was a fact that it fully kicked in for Kaiya just in those moments, as many thoughts appeared immediately, like a snake creeping up to catch its prey. _Irresponsible. You always rely on others to deal with your problems. How immature are you?! Grow up! Go back there and take the lead like you should. _

Kaiya hated it, but what she hated even more was the fact that they were right, to a degree, that is. Her brother should've not be put into all that if she wasn't staying away from her clan so cowardly. She chose her duty as a shinobi over the people who raised her.

A warm hand slid through Kaiya's almost clenched fist and took it in a comforting grip.

'It's going to be alright.' Lee said, with a small smile. 'Things have a habit of sorting themselves out, eventually.'

In a way or another, the boy's words reassured Kaiya, giving her a small boost of hope that things might as well be alright. She smiled back, in return. 'Hopefully, they do.'

The way back wasn't rushed in any way. Even if things were going to be alright, they had little to return to, after Pain's attack. Kaiya was long since brought up-to-date with everything that has happened in the first hours after she left, but many things could happen in a week. Only God could know what happened in the meantime, but none of the group members brought their hopes up too much. Many things could happen in a week, yes, but what _was _that many? It could be plenty of insignificant things that left everything in the same state of misery as it was before, or a few things that brought great change and improvement.

As they began to close the distance between them and the village, the heavy smell of dust filled Kaiya's nose.

'The damage's been pretty big, huh?' She asked, mostly rhetorically.

Kiba hummed approvingly. 'Those Pain dudes were a real pain in the ass.'

'How many were there?'

'Six.' Guy informed. 'They said something about the Six Paths of Pain, but I think that things are still very unclear. Maybe they found something while we were gone.'

'I hope they did.' Kaiya answered, 'if they didn't send there are no clues to help us, we're screwed.'

'I'm sure they have found at least _something_,' Kiba said boldly as the main gates came into view, 'Shikamaru's there. As lazy and annoying as he is, he's really smart, I'll give him that. With his help, things will go smoother and faster. I'm sure.'

The small group of four people landed on the ground as Konoha's gates stood a hundred meters before them. The gates were open and the view they gave of Konoha left Kaiya silent.

She entered quietly, and looked around. Boulders of ground laid everywhere, many rocks one over the other, creating mountains of all sizes that, in the grand scheme of the town, created a maze one could easily get lost in, along with the thousand holes in the ground of where all the rocks and boulders used to sit only so peacefully just a week ago.

'Wow.' Kaiya whispered in awe as she looked at the disaster around her. 'I knew it was bad, but...'

'The Akatsuki didn't fail to put its signature on us with that attack.' A calm male voice said as someone jumped from a roof, with a green book in their hands.

At his sight, Kaiya couldn't help but smile.

'Kakashi-san,' she greeted, 'How are you feeling?'

'Better, thank you.' Kakashi laughed lightly as he scratched the back of his head, returning the smile. 'What about you?'

'Same goes here. I paid a visit home, and I got the chance to recollect a little. I'm glad to see you better.'

For a moment, Kakashi paused as he noticed a long scar over Kaiya's left eye and a small yet deep scar sitting in the left corner of her mouth.

'What happened to your eye? And your mouth? Who scratched you like that?'

The group tensed a little as they waited for Kaiya's response. Surprisingly, she did nothing but to relax her shoulders and smile.

'I got into a bickering with one of my cousins. Something for the ranks?'

'Something for the ranks?' Kakashi frowned. 'Don't tell me...'

'Alpha's son, yes. I became the heir.'

Kakashi paused for a moment, analysing the situation.

'Don't bother too much with this, please. Everything's alright, so there's nothing you should create any concern for.'

Kakashi nodded lightly, understandingly. He wasn't part of the Kobaiyashi clan anymore- whatever business they had didn't concern him. Seeing how Fuzasane had forgiven him that one time, he should even consider himself forgotten to the Kobaiyashi. His business with them has ended long ago. For a moment, his eyes drifted from Kaiya to Guy and the rest of the group.

'What about you, Guy? How are you?'

'I've never been better!' Guy exclaimed with a shining smile.

The two men continued to chat for what seemed like ages- Kakashi keeping himself calm and collected, while Guy was the endless energy person he usually was. In a way, Kaiya felt relieved. Even with the Akatsuki attack, at least the people remained the same.

At some point, Kaiya excused herself under the pretext that she had some business to resolve. As soon as she left, she didn't hesitate to go back to her apartment. When she left, the apartment was a mess, so it probably needed a good cleaning. _She should probably pay Lady Hokage a visit as well..._

She entered her apartment, only to be greeted by a horrible smell coming from the kitchen. One look in and she already knew what produced the smell- a week old small tower of unwashed plates and cutlery. She didn't need any more signs- she took her shoes off and began washing the dishes without hesitation. _She stormed out of the village, __**how rude!**_ _She truly owed Lady Hokage a visit __**and**__ an apology, for her outburst in the ANBU and her unexpected disappearance. How horrible for-_

'Hello, Kaiya. Welcome back.'

Kaiya turned around within the second, a butter knife in her hand as she tensed. Behind the kitchen counter stood a tall man with long white hair caught in a ponytail, a white t-shirt with red imprints at the end of the t-shirt's sleeve.

'Who are..' Kaiya began, but stopped midway. She knew who the man was very well. 'Sakumo-san.'

Sakumo smiled softly, as the girl lowered her knife slowly. 'Thank you for your kindness, Kaiya. I have no intention of hurting you. I must apologise, however, for startling you like that.'

'Oh, I...' Kaiya paused, trying to find her words. She was very startled by the sudden appearance. 'What are you doing here? You went through a lot in your life, you should rest in the afterlife.'

Sakumo sighed, softly.

'You see,' he began, 'I couldn't go in the afterlife up until recently. I couldn't do that in the real sense due to some of my circumstances before my death. I seemed worthy of forgiveness, and I was finally able to rest in peace.'

Kaiya smiled, feeling nothing but happiness at the man. 'I'm glad to hear that. But still, why did you come back into the world so soon?'

'I wanted to pay you a visit before I settle in the afterlife. I've been haunting this apartment for some years now, long before I could ever get deemed as worthy for the afterlife. It is possible I found myself here just a couple of days before you first moved in.'

Kaiya's eyes widened as her eyebrows arched up in surprise. 'So, that means that... You've been here all along? You're the spirit that haunted me for so long?'

Sakumo nodded, smiling. 'Indeed. I watched you grow and evolve more that I got to do so with my own son. Seeing you grow and listening to your every thought for so many years... I couldn't leave this world behind without finally confronting you. Not now, when I'm finally visible.'

'Thank you. That's very kind of you, but...' Kaiya gasped in realisation. 'It makes sense now! Why I felt your presence here, but I couldn't see you. It's because you still didn't accept your fate and remained in the limbo between the living and the dead. Isn't that right?'

Sakumo couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time he laughed in only so many years, and he couldn't remember when he last laughed this hard.

'I believe you're the expert on this matter, Kaiya. I'm nothing but a mere pawn in God's game of lives.'

Silence fell between them for a matter of seconds, allowing them both to recollect on their discussion so far. Kaiya smiled.

'Thank you for coming, Sakumo-san. I truly appreciate it.'

It was nice to hear that. Being forgiven by his son was probably the happiest and best thing he could've ever experienced, but being accepted by his family was bringing him just as much joy. It really brought him a reassurance that even with the mass of people that cursed his name, there still are people who are by his side. Maybe it was selfish to feel that way, yes, but it was reassuring.

The figure of the man began fading away through the air, allowing Kaiya to be able to see through him more and more up until there was nothing left of him, not even the feeling Kaiya was so used to of him being invisibly present. For the first time, the apartment felt empty.

**A/N**

**Hello, everyone! What's up?**

**Happy (late) 2020, everyone! I hope you all have a great year. **

**Here's the first chapter this year- chapter 22! It honestly took long for me to finish this chapter, and it isn't as long as other chapter. I know, I know. Honestly, since Kaiya isn't part of the canon main characters, I've got****_ a lot_**** of time to play with during the Shippuden part while Naruto and Sakura are searching for Sasuke (the search for Sasuke is like, a personal problem between the main three lmaoo), and while Naruto is training with Killer Bee on that island. Things which, obviously, Kaiya isn't involved in. **

**Now here comes the tough part- the war arc. Since the transition between Naruto's training and the beginning of the war arc is very smooth, I'll have to be very careful about how I bring Kaiya there.**

**Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, tell me what your thoughts are and see you in the next chapter!**

-**Avery**


	23. 23 The Five Kage Summit

'So you and Lee are really dating? Like... _dating_?' Ino couldn't help but look at Kaiya perplexed, as the two walked down Konoha's streets.

The two never really took a chance to form any kind of friendship, but as it seemed, they got along fairly well, due to similar mindsets. At that moment, the two were assigned a short task of bringing some supplies for people who were rebuilding the terrain and the houses around where Pain attacked.

'Yeah, we're dating,' Kaiya shrugged, 'why?'

'Oh, nothing. He wouldn't stop rambling about it earlier this morning, and I guess it was quite surprising for many of us. He's been a little different than the rest of us ever since we were little, and honestly, I didn't expect him to get in a relationship before me.'

The two laughed lightly, leaving Kaiya to think about the girl's words.

'Maybe Lee isn't like you guys, but he isn't a bad person. He's probably the least bad person out there. He's kind and very passionate about what he does. I'm glad I got to meet him

'He's really lucky to have you, Kaiya. You do have a skill in seeing the good parts in someone. You're really smart and skilled as a shinobi, you come from a good family, and you're beautiful, too.'

As stoic as she generally was, Kaiya felt how she was taken aback by the sudden mass of compliments coming from Ino.

'You didn't really seem like someone who's much into dating, though.' Ino remarked.

_Of course_, Kaiya deadpanned internally. _The eternal backside of the coin._

'Dating was never a priority of mine, that's true, but I don't avoid it. My mum always told me not to get into a serious relationship like that for any reason except out of love, so I never hurried it. I met Lee, we got to know each other... and things happened.'

Ino hummed, approvingly.

'It must be nice getting know someone like that. He was also in the same team as you, wasn't he?' Ino sighed in exasperation, 'I'm really out of luck romantically speaking, then. My teammates are like brothers to me, and there's no other boy with a decent personality.'

'Don't lose your hope like that! At least you know you have someone who'll have your back if anything happens, Ino. Romance isn't a race, so don't rush in finding someone who you think is right for you. Take your time, look for the signs, and it's going to be fine.'

Ino smiled lightly. 'Thank you, Kaiya.'

Maybe it was odd how the two got along seeing some of the differences between them, but somehow, they weren't so different and in the end, they could find a friend in each other.

They took as many supplies as they could- both of them being able to carry amounts of wood that shocked the villagers- and brought them as soon as they could to the supply place near the crater that Pain created. At Kaiya's sight, Lee jumped down a small pile of wood he was sitting on along with Tenten and some of their other friends and hurried towards her, in order to greet her with a large smile.

'Are you free tonight?' He asked, and the two began walking to the small group sitting around the pile of woods.

'Yeah,' Kaiya smiled, 'Why?'

'I'd like to take you out for dinner. If you want to, of course.'

For a moment, Kaiya remembered what Lee told her just a few days ago, about how he wished to spend more time with her. A dinner out didn't sound bad at all, and she did want to spend more time with him as well.

'That would be very nice. Did you have any place in mind?'

As the two continued to chat in the distance, Naruto couldn't help but frown a little as he looked at the two. He didn't fully believe the boy that morning when he said that he had a girlfriend, but as it seemed, everything that Lee said was true.

'I still don't get it.' He said, puffing his cheeks. 'How can she like Bushy Brows so much?'

Sitting in front of him, Shikamaru sighed as he looked up. 'Don't stress too much about it, it's too troublesome. Women are impossible to understand, and both Kaiya and Lee are a little weird if you ask me. So... they're more than impossible to be understood.'

He yawned deeply as he continued to follow the clouds in the sky, without making the slightest effort to acknowledge Kaiya and Lee, who arrived. Laying on the top of the woodpile, Kiba frowned at the sight of Lee holding Kaiya's hand. It wasn't that he didn't like Lee, but it became odd to see him acting so affectionate towards _his_ cousin. Even if he didn't fully realise, for Kiba, Kaiya was like a sister he wanted to protect at all costs from all the bad things that could happen.

'Get your hands off my cousin.' He spat.

'He's my boyfriend, Kiba.' Kaiya said, a string of annoyance making itself present in her tone. 'Relax, really.'

Kiba mumbled something displeased, as he drifted his attention to something else. Silence fell inside the group, allowing Kaiya to zone out for a moment. As she listened to the sounds around her, she couldn't help but hear a quiet conversation between two workers about how Lady Hokage was still in a coma. When she found out about the woman's state, Kaiya felt how a wave of shock and worry, but yet, not as shocked as when she found out who replaced her until her recovery.

In the meantime, the tent that served as the Hokage's office was very busy as a particular Kage meeting was approaching.

'How's Tsunade-san's state?' Danzo asked an ANBU member in his tent.

'Still in a coma, but she's becoming more stable. According to the doctors, her chances of dying are lower than a few days ago.'

Danzo sighed. He was in a tight position with little options for success. He finally reached his lifelong goal, but with Tsunade still alive, he was a mere replacement. In that moment, he was nothing more than a stupid puppet that was meant to keep everyone entertained until the main piece would return. If he made an attempt to get rid of Tsunade, there was a good chance someone would figure it out and get the word out. That would bring him a definite exile from becoming a Hokage candidate.

'Kaiya Kobayashi returned recently, didn't she?' he asked.

'Yes, sir. Just yesterday, at noon.' The ANBU member answered.

'A pity that she left the ANBU,' he mused, 'but it would be an even greater pity if she is put in a position where she can't offer her skills for the village's protection. Especially in times like this.'

'What are you suggesting, Hokage-sama?'

'Bring Kaiya to me and prepare for the Summit. We will leave soon.'

The ANBU members nodded, before spreading away, each responsible with a task. In a matter of minutes, Kaiya was brought to the tent, and upon hearing the man's suggestion, she couldn't feel more disgusted.

'Hokage-sama, with all respect due,' she said, doing her best to control her temper, 'but this is an ANBU-level mission. I'm nothing more than a jonin now.'

'But you are qualified to be an ANBU. You have skills most work for an entire lifetime. You are an opportunity I'm not willing to overlook when it comes to the village's security.'

Kaiya's cheek twitched. _You mean your own safety, you old man._

'I firmly believe that there are other opportunities you can choose from.'

'I now also believe firmly that I didn't express myself enough that some _farmer_ would understand me. When you chose to become a shinobi, you swore to devote your heart for the Land of Fire. I'm willing to give you the chance to prove yourself to me.'

Kaiya puffed in amusement. 'If Lady Hokage hears about this, you'll be in no better state than my deceased brother.'

'Not if I can help it.'

Kaiya hated everything about this. The responsibility she now carried brought Kaiya some images and memories she'd rather forget, and the fact that she didn't have to wear a mask as an ANBU made her feel naked and sick.

_If Lady Hokage was here..., _was the only thought that circled around Kaiya's mind ever since she left the village. It was safe to say that none of the people who knew her well were any happier- some of them even offered to team up against Danzo, something to which Kaiya had to use all her will to convince both herself and them that it wasn't a good idea.

As they walked, Kaiya looked at how the ANBU next to her made some signs with their hand, careful not to be seen by the Fire Kage. _It'll be over soon. Kage Summits are boring. _Kaiya looked for their scent in an attempt to memorise it, only for it to be a discovery that she already knew that smell. For a moment, she looked at Danzo, who walked in front of them. He was, most likely, still holding no knowledge of the things said to her.

She looked at the ANBU member next to her. _Akira? Asumi? Is that you? _The ANBU made a sign in approvance, before pausing for a moment, in thought._ I'm sorry you had to find out the truth about me like that. _Kaiya pursed her lips. _It was sudden, but I'm not mad. Hokage's orders are Hokage's orders, and you had to respect them._ _Thank you for being honest with me. _

Asumi smiled under her mask. The girl has been mature ever since she has first met her, but she has grown a lot ever since then. Comparing the Kaiya from now to her fourteen-year-old self from four years ago, it was obvious how she was much more understanding, now that she experienced certain things, and how she grew tougher to be led on the wrong path. In Asumi's opinion, these kind of people were always meant to go through the toughest paths, once they begin to put in their roots.

By evening, they finally reached the place where the meeting was held. It was a large building held in the middle of nowhere, not too far from some canyons. For a moment, Kaiya wondered about the intelligence of the first Kages when they decided to build such a large and obvious building, but the answer would soon come up to her.

A few hundred meters before they could reach the building's entrance, they were greeted by three men in heavy, metallic armour, with masks that hid their faces and two swords. _Samurai._

'Identify yourself,' one of the samurai demanded.

'Sixth Hokage, Danzo Shimura. Replacement for Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju.'

The two samurai bower lightly and asked the Kage to follow them as they led him in the building. The hallways were dark, lit only by a few candles here and there at the corners. Before entering a large room, Danzo ordered the ANBU to follow a small stairway that would lead to a balcony on the inside of the room- it was the place where the ANBU members stood to get a better view in case their Kage was threatened or attacked.

The meeting started out simply- the Kages began talking about the Akatsuki and their various attacks on the villages in order to gain the possessions of the Bijuus, nothing out of the expected topic. Although interesting to hear, it was nothing Kaiya didn't know about, and it didn't fully pique her interest until they came up with the plan of a temporary alliance between all the nations. It wasn't out of the ordinary for two nations to form an alliance for one or another reason, but for all nations to put their weapons down on each other made Kaiya wonder how it was possible. Nothing like this ever happened ever since the rise of the 5 great nations.

Then, of course, while the great alliance was a good idea, arguments arose about who should be the head of all this. In this situation, Danzo was surprisingly quiet. Something wrong, Kaiya just couldn't figure out what.

'Hokage-sama,' one of the Kirigakure guards said, loudly,' please take off the bandages around your eye. I believe you stole Shisui Uchiha's eye and made it your own.

The room tensed, as all eyes were set on the Hokage. _To steal a Sharingan? _Kaiya's eyes widened. _Kakashi-san's got a Sharingan, too!_

'Shisui Uchiha? The one who's said to be on par with Itachi Uchiha?' The Mizukage asked, in wonder.

'None other. With his dojutsu capabilities, he could enter the mind of an opponent and control it as if it was his own. The one being manipulated wouldn't even notice it happening. It's a top-class dojutsu!'

The Raikage turned his head to Danzo's directions, anger shining in his eyes. 'Hokage, have you been manipulating Mifune?'

His question didn't even sound like a question anymore. It was as if he was already sure of it, the only thing allowing his mind to put it at question was his curiosity of how sincere the man was, and how he would work with such accusations.

'Hokage-sama, whatever you might try, don't think you can fool my eye, which dispelled the genjutsu put on the Fourth Mizukage!' The Kirigakure guard exclaimed.

Something in the guard's voice seemed to trigger the Raikage, but before he could have a proper reaction, a large, green plant emerged from the ground, in the middle of the room. Alerted, Kaiya and the other ANBU members put their guards up, each activating a jutsu or taking a weapon in their hands. As for Kaiya, she immediately took her tachi out and prepared for any possible attacks.

The plant opened, allowing a white, mutilated humanoid being with green short hair to appear, making various alerting questions to appear from around the room. For a moment, a mention of Sasuke could be heard, making Kaiya's eyes squint. _Was that Sasuke? No, it couldn't be him. No way in hell._

'This guy,' the Tsuchikage paused, 'He's a member of the Akatsuki.'

'Hello!' The white-coloured Akatsuki member spun around the room with a bright smile. Within a second, every guard was sitting next to their Kage, prepared to protect them at all costs.

'One problem after the other!' The Raikage exclaimed, 'Now what?'

'So this is the Akatsuki?' Danzo asked, quietly.

'Seems like it, sir,' one of the ANBU members said.

'Sasuke Uchiha has snuck in!' The Akatsuki member announced happily.

'What?!' the Raikage exclaimed.

'Let's all go and look for Sasuke!'

Before he got the chance to say anything else, the Raikage grabbed the Akatsuki member by his neck and began questioning the whereabouts of Sasuke, but to no result. The Akatsuki member died before any information could've been leaked.

The Raikage cursed under his breath, before making a hole in the wall and hurrying down a hallway, leaving behind a thick cloud of dust to cover the room. Subtly and carefully, Danzo made a sign with his hand, before getting up silently and walking away, followed by the ANBU members. Kaiya pursed her lips. _This bloody bastard, running away from his problems._

The man took his chance and left the room before anyone could notice. He hurried down the halls, his guards following him close by. As they exited the buildings, distant yells and yells could be heard. Kaiya shook her head lightly. Whatever happened there didn't matter so much to her anymore, the summit was finally over. She could go home.

Alas, fate wasn't by her side this time. About an hour later, just as they were crossing a bridge, a kunai landed before them. Entering in an alarmed state, Kaiya put her hand on her tachi, ready to attack at any moment. Danzo turned around for a moment, before making a quiet sign for the ANBU members to do so.

Turning around, Kaiya's eyes landed on the rather imposing figure of a masked man in an Akatsuki mask.

'It's been a long time, Danzo.' The masked man greeted. 'We haven't seen eachother since the _Uchiha incident_.'

Kaiya frowned. _Uchiha incident? Was there a connection between this man, Danzo and that horrendous mass murder? _In a way, Kaiya hoped it was just a misunderstanding. On the other hand, she realised that the old man would be capable of working and supporting something like that if that something that would be eliminated stood in his way. But still, _why? How did the Uchiha wrong him?_

Danzo's eyes lingered on the ground as he sighed. A large cloud of black smoke accompanied a loud booming noise. As the black smoke cleared, Danzo let his stick fall on to the ground. He took his right arm out of his jacket, to reveal a sort of odd seal around his arm.

'Fū, Torune, Kaiya, keep him occupied,' Danzo said as he tinkered the seal, 'Asumi, go back to Konoha and warn them about Akatsuki's appearance. I'm going to take the seal off.'

'Yes, sir!' The four said in unison. Three of them prepared to fight, as one of them disappeared in the forest behind them.

'Are you going to really fight me, Danzo?' The masked man asked with curiosity in his voice. The man had skills, but his stupidness appeared to be stored within him in the same amount of his best skills.

'Madara,' Danzo told the ANBU members, ignoring the man's question, 'his abilities are way beyond your God.'

'Torune, we'll attack to distract him,' The redhead ANBU member, Fū, said, ' Kaiya-sama, attack him and weaken him as much as you can.'

All the members agreed, before making their way to the so-called masked Madara. Torune and Fū jumped in the air, making the first attacks. Torune charged a handful of kunais in Madara's direction, only for him to dodge all of them effortlessly. Yet, Torune did manage to bring the man to the edge of the pillar he was sitting on, giving Fū an advantage to use his Mind Transfer jutsu, but to no use. Just as Fū was about to activate the jutsu, the Madara disappeared inside the pillar.

'He vanished into the pillar.' Fū said alarmed, as both he and Torune climbed on the pillar.

Kaiya wanted to facepalm herself. 'Fū, Torune, don't be stupid! Don't put your guards down like that!'

She jumped and stabbed the pillar on multiple places with chakra infused kunais._ That'll bring him out for sure._ It took a few moments_,_ Madara eventually jumped out again. As he jumped out behind the redhead ANBU, Fū had the quick instinct to attack him with his sword. Yet again, his sword went right through Madara's head as if it was thin air. Madara turned around and grabbed the sword. Just as he was about to make an attack, Torune threw a kunai in his direction. Unluckily for Torune, the kunai went through Madara's head like through thin air, caught by Kaiya. Luckily for him, Madara got distracted by the kunai, allowing Fū to push him away.

Kaiya hurried to recollect all the kunais stabbed into the pillar, before looking for Madara. He was still standing, a few metres away from the two ANBU members. She jumped as high as she could, before throwing all her kunais towards Madara, from all directions, towards his entire body but one spot. As planned, they were all going through him. But what if...?

Kaiya pushed herself back to the ground as the kunais were still falling and grabbed Madara by the leg, pulling him off the pillar. Surprisingly, her plan worked- her hand didn't go through his leg. She took this occasion and didn't hesitate to pull the man to the ground, kunais that stabbed the ground around him. She pressed her hand against the ground, releasing the chakra that remained in her kunais from the last attack, creating a chakra wall in the ground. Seeing the man's reaction to chakra when using that technique, this _had_ to work.

Madara activated the technique that allowed him to pass through objects, but to no use- the ground was just as hard as before. As it seemed, the girl formed some chakra strings that she attached between the kunais surrounding him._ Blocked by chakra? How was this even possible? _He looked at then girl and frowned behind his mask. The girl didn't look much younger than him, yet somehow, a distant yet familiar resemblance was present in her eyes. _Kakashi._

'Kaiya-san!' One of the guards called out, behind her. 'Are you alright?'

Madara's eyes widened, as a memory came back to him.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' Kaiya yelled back, turning her head towards the guards for a moment, 'I immobilised this Madara guy with a chakra wall and some chakra strings! Mind coming for a second and lend a hand?'

In the distance, Danzo watched the scene unfold with a smirk on his face. Nothing less to be expected from the ex ANBU member.

Fū and Torune came next to Madara, approaching carefully. Torune knelt down and took a closer at the man who didn't move a single muscle. He stretched his hand towards the man's mask in an attempt to take it off, when the man suddenly began shaking. Torune took a step back and accidentally touched Fū's arm with his hand. Fū fell to the ground, grabbing his arm in pain as Madara continued to battle with the chakra strings until they eventually broke. Torune took Fū and jumped on the pillar, before apologising to Fū and removing a purple wound lying on his arm. Kaiya tensed as she looked at the man. The chakra strings weakened enough for him to break them. She _had_ to work on that technique. She _needed_ to improve.

'You.' Madara said as he approached the two on the pillar, looking at Torune, 'You're a shinobi from the Aburame clan, aren't you? A shinobi who knows secret ninjutsu. You must be Shikuro's brat. To think you're in the Foundation... Danzo, you've got an impressive ray of subordinates.'

And with that, Madara disappeared inside the pillar. Kaiya cursed under her breath as she jumped on the pillar, next to the two ANBU members.

'Torune, forgive me.' Fū said, shame in his voice.

'It's okay,' Torune answered as he took his jacket off to reveal his skin turning purple,' but don't relax. See if you can sense his location.'

Before anyone could do anything, Madara appeared behind Torune and grabbed him by his shoulders as a spiral of air conjured them, sucking Torune in. The spiral disappeared, and so did Torune.

'Torune!' Fū exclaimed.

'Oh well, it looks like my right arm has been infected with those venomous beetles.' Madara said matter-of-factly, before grabbing his right arm and twisting it in a manner that resulted in the arm making a disgusting, squishy noise. _Blood. _His arm fell to the ground, a white liquid flowing out from it.

'What the hell is this?' Kaiya asked as she took her tachi out.

Madara pushed his arm towards the ANBU members with his foot, before disappearing into the pillar. For a moment, Fū followed the arm with his arm and, when he returned his focus on the problem, Madara appeared in front of him, along with the air spiral that took Torune away.

'You're next.' Madara said.

**A/N**

**Hello, everyone! How's your day going?**

**I may or may not have worked for nearly a month on this chapter. School, tiredness, writer's block, procrastination. That's it. That's what happened. Honestly. This chapter needed a hella lot of research because of the Kage Summit (honestly, God ****_forbid_**** there'd be a proper video with the Kage Summit talk on Youtube, cuz there ain't none ), and this spin was also really unplanned.**

**You see, there was this gap between the Kobayashi Alpha arc and the Fourth Ninja War arc I had no idea how to fill. Then, I was writing the beginning of this chapter with no idea what to do, and I thought 'Hey, new idea! Make Kaiya struggle a little and send her to the Kage Summit. It fills the gap with good tea, y'know? Kaiya finally gets to meet Sasuke properly. Shit happens.'. So I did that, and now we're here. I wrote some nice 3.9K words for all this tea. Lit.**

**And yeah. I think Kaiya'll return back to Konoha in the next chapter. If I may be 100% honest with y'all, I'mma wrap this shit up with Sasuke and we'll see what we do next before getting into the w a r. That'll be the real tea and I'm really excited about it.**

**Why?**

**Because I'm here! Nah, but for real, I'mma write the McFrick out of some characters that honestly deserved more screentime. I'mma add the real tea there, too. Excited? Yes. The war arc? Not so far anymore. Me? Hyped up. Hotel? Trivago.**

**See y'all in the next chapter!**

**-Avery**


	24. 24 Coming home

After Fū was sucked into the spiral, Madara stood on the pillar, looking at Kaiya, without any kind of movement, an action Kaiya couldn't understand. If he controlled the human-sucking spiral, why didn't he just use it against her, too? Torune and Fū were both skilled shinobi, but both of then disappeared immediately into the spiral. The was no guarantee she would have a different fate in that situation. Truth to be told, neither Torune or Fū were prepared when the attack came.

'What's your name?' Madara asked, calmly, 'Kaiya, was it? Kaiya and what?'

'Why do you need to know?'

Kaiya frowned. There was no point in attacking him- any attack would pass right through him.

'Curiosity.' Madara answered.

'You won't get much with mere curiosity. You need to put effort into finding out.'

'So be it.'

Next thing she knew, Madara was right in front of her. The tachi she once had her hand on for a possible defence moment wasn't withing her reach anymore but in Madara's hand. That's when she felt how something went right through her upper stomach. At first, she didn't feel anything more than that but as the realisation kicked in, so did the pain. Looking down, the sight only confirmed what she thought to have happened. Her tachi went through her body and was left hanging there.

During her time as an ANBU, she experienced various stabs and near-death experiences, but none like this. None of the stabs she's experienced were this deep, and definitely not made by her own weapon. As a shinobi, it was meant to happen at least once, she guessed. As she tried to reach for the sword's **tsuka***, Kaiya felt how the ground began to feel altered and her surroundings spin around rapidly, making her lose the sense of gravity and her whereabouts.

Next thing she knew, she was standing on a rectangular pillar in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. The sky, if it could even be named sky, was black, and the surroundings were nothing but thousands of rectangular pillars of various sizes with nothing between them but an endless abyss of black._ What if...?_

'Torune! Fū! Are you here?'

No answer came as a piercing pain went through Kaiya's body. The sword was still there. She grabbed the sword and made a light attempt to pull it out. The action was followed by another shiver of pain. Kaiya grunted and closed her eyes. She didn't have time to kid around. She grit her teeth, gathered all the power she had remaining in her and pulled out the tachi. An electric shiver of pain ran through her body, making her wish she could scream in order to release all of that pain. Yet, she couldn't scream- god knew what or who else was present in that abyss of nothingness.

The tachi fell to the ground as Kaiya put a hand on her stomach. It felt warm and covered into something liquid and just as warm. She didn't need to look to know exactly what it was, and that she needed help immediately. She knew many things and she was capable of many things, but medical jutsus were never her forte. She tried to activate the healing jutsu she once learned in the ANBU. It was weak, and she felt tired but a little bit of a something was better than nothing.

'They can't hear you. I made sure of it.'

Kaiya's eyes widened as she looked around her, trying to locate the owner of the voice. She didn't have to search much. Behind her stood the masked man, on a taller pillar, looking at her.

'Don't hurt them,' Kaiya said, 'Please.'

The man jumped on the same pillar as Kaiya, now standing a mere two hand lengths away from Kaiya.

'I won't, and won't do anything more to you either, if you cooperate with me.'

Silence fell between the two for a moment. It was a risky situation, but it wasn't just her life that was on the line. Wherever Torune and Fū were, they depended on her. She let her hand down, stopping the healing jutsu.

'What do you want to know?' She asked.

'You're a Konoha shinobi. Do you know Hatake Kakashi?' He asked.

'Yes.'

_Just this? Fine. _For now, Kaiya's strategy was of telling him short answers that only confirmed or deny his assumptions and thoughts, and no extra info.

'Good. Is he alive?'

'Yes.'

'Are you related to Hatake Kakashi?'

For a moment, Kaiya hesitated.

'Answer me.' Madara insisted.

'Yes. I'm related to him.'

'What is he to you?'

'Nothing more than my biological father.'

It was probably the most honest thing Kaiya had said in a while- many liked to bring this topic when talking to her, about how she and her father Kakashi... For her, he was just another man that happened to be the one her mother once chose to trust. She was nothing more than the result of that choice. Her real father, the one she always looked up to, the only one she can think of when saying _father_, was back in the Kobayashi clan, married with her mother.

'How old are you?' Madara asked.

'Eighteen.'

Madara nodded. 'Thank you.'

The same feeling of losing the sense of gravity came upon her. She closed her eyes and tried to send away the feeling of pain and vomiting that came upon her. When she felt like she hit the ground, she opened her eyes. She was on a pathway in a forest, and it was night outside. Next to her was her bloodied tachi.

'Kaiya-sama! What happened?'

Kaiya looked up and saw Fū and Torune looking at her, worryingly. Kaiya shook her head.

'Got stabbed. Are you two alright? Where are we?'

'In front of Konoha's gates,' Fū informed, 'We're perfectly fine. You aren't, though.'

Kaiya sighed in relief. _Thank god. They're fine, and we're home._

'You should go to the hospital.' Torune said.

Kaiya made an attempt to get up. 'Indeed I should- _hn_. Damn it.'

'The stab.' Torune stated, simply, 'Fū, help me.'

Torune took Kaiya's tachi and put it back in its sword bag on Kaiya's back, before taking Kaiya by one shoulder. Fū took her by her other shoulder and slowly, they raised her up on her leg, and walked slowly to the hospital.

They got there, Kaiya was immediately rushed into an emergency room where some medical nins took care of her for what seemed like a short eternity, and as soon as she was put into one of the ordinary hospital rooms, things began to feel blurry.

The last thing Kaiya knew was how she was sitting in the patient's bed, watching the town's flickering warm lights on the streets, as a light breath of wind would pass by the window next to her, carrying the very last leaves of autumn that were strong enough to hold onto their mother tree, before eventually taking their flight away into the eternity of the afterworld, along with the pure, joyful voices of kids laughing through the streets. Kaiya's eyelids became heavier and heavier as the night softly played its music, eventually making impossible for anyone to complete the quest of resisting another night of the soft, enciting slumber. During those moments, Kaiya felt how she lost that battle, as she slipped away from consciousness. _I'm home. I'm safe._

By the time Kaiya was returned of her consciousness, the night was long since gone. Her hand was held by someone, as they waited for her return worryingly.

'Kaiya-chan... please.' They murmured. 'The mission must've been rough, wasn't it? You should've never went there. It hurts you, and... and it hurts me to see you suffering. _Alot_. I can't wait for Lady Tsunade to feel better. She would never do this to you.'

A light grunt escaped Kaiya's mouth, as her grip tightened around Lee's hand. She opened her eyes slowly and tilted her head in Lee's direction. A small, tired smile appeared on Kaiya's face.

'Lee.' She said.

It was a long time since Lee carried such a wide, sincere smile. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and pressed his lips against Kaiya's. He wanted to _feel_ she was there. To know for sure she was there with him, only with him, and no one else. The two remained still for a few moments, before letting go. Lee looked at Kaiya right in the eyes, both of them radiating nothing but happiness. Kaiya's hand reached out for his face, before allowing her thumb to massage his cheek.

'I've missed you.' She said.

In some moments, a person can't help but become the prey of their instincts and heart's desires. Sometimes, it's best to let it happen as your rawest emotions come free, allowing you to become the one who you really are. Without hesitation, Lee hugged Kaiya tightly, and when she responded to his affections in the same manner, his whole body sparked in joy, allowing him to experience a level of happiness many could hardly even dream of, let alone hope and search for. Lee planted his face in Kaiya's neck, taking in her smell, memorizing one thing only she had, _something_ that captured his love even more.

'I've missed you more than you imagined,' he whispered.

He wanted her. He needed her. What once began as a friendship and comradery between them blossomed into what now was the love of their lives.

'Did anything happen while I was gone?' Kaiya asked.

'Other than me missing you terribly?' Lee asked, as he let go and sat back on his chair. 'Not so much. Naruto left as well, but he didn't explain much about it. Builders continued fixing the village, people slowly returning to their normal lives... that kind of story.'

Kaiya relaxed her head and looked at the ceiling as she thought at the boy's words. She never got the chance to know Naruto well and honestly, she had no hurry to do so. It wasn't like she disliked him, it was just that after hearing people talk about him and seeing him around a couple of times, even though she might form some sort of friendship with him, she would have a hard time tolerating his behaviour.

'Is he still going around looking for Sasuke?' She asked.

'Yup. He'd rather die than give up looking for him.'

Kaiya bit her lower-lip. 'It's quite reckless, but I see where he's coming from. I'd do the same for some people.'

Lee thought for a moment. 'I would do so, too. But sometimes, it's better to know when to stop before putting yourself or other people in danger.'

'Yes, but when you love someone and you want nothing but to be with them, you just don't care anymore. You want nothing but their presence and acknowledgement.'

Lee paused for a moment. 'Is that how you feel about me?'

'You know how I feel about you. I would do the same thing Naruto does for you. I would do that as well for my brother, my mother... anyone who I truly care about.'

'I wouldn't go away. Konoha is my home. I belong here, and the people here are my family.'

'You know-'

Right as she began talking, the hospital's room slammed open, allowing a girl with two buns to enter furiously, followed by a boy around her age, and a man in his thirties, both of them calm.

'Lee, you traitor!' The girl yelled as she reached Kaiya's bed, 'Why didn't you tell us Kaiya was back? And to have the _audacity_ to come and visit her without us-'

'Actually, I wanted to talk to her alone,' Lee stated, simply, 'I was going to tell you guys later.'

The girl froze for a second, her anger dissolving. _The two weren't just friends now. They wanted privacy._ Their teacher shook his head lightly, with a tint of amusement on his face. Whenever something like this happened and two members of the same team began dating, the third one was bound to feel left out in a way or another. A pity, but it wasn't like it would break their relationship. _Hopefully._

Next to him, a boy with long dark hair snorted, obviously amused at the girl's realisation. He honestly couldn't care less if the two were dating or not. It was a little odd, but if they were happy together, there was nothing wrong. Besides, it wasn't like Lee's feelings were something temporary. He knew the boy well enough, and he had to spend two full years with him talking about how he was so sure of how Kaiya will show soon and how less exciting it had become without Kaiya... As he said, but was a little odd to see Lee in a relationship, but it wasn't his business.

'Right,' Tenten laughed awkwardly, 'well we'll come back later then...'

'It's fine.' Kaiya said as she pushed herself into a sitting position, 'You're already here. I'm happy you came.'

As Tenten sat shyly on the edge of the hospital bed at Kaiya's legs, Neji took a chair and sat comfortably while laying his legs on the hospital bed.

'So no more ANBU?' Neji asked.

Kaiya shook her head. 'Nope. Shitty people, too much stress.'

Neji nodded, lightly. 'Relatable.'

'Um... If I may ask, what did you do in the ANBU? What was it like?' Tenten asked.

The room fell silent, as everyone's attention laid on Kaiya.

'Maybe it's not appropriate-' Guy began.

'Assassinations, mostly,' Kaiya explained, 'About seven out of ten missions were assassinations, another two were, maybe, espionage and one would be an ambush. Generally, ambushes would go together with assassinations, but not always. The missions are paid very well, especially assassinations, but it's not like the money would erase the memories. To put it in a nutshell, if you're in the ANBU, you create nightmares for money. In order to maintain certain peace and to ease the world from a little pain, you take that pain on yourself. The less pain the world feels because of you, the more pain you feel because of the world.'

No one said nothing, as they thought of the girl's words. It was a difficult topic, but they've come across it various times, especially in the past few years, ever since Akatsuki's rise. People die, people are born. Some die to allow others to be born, and the ones born fight to find a place in this world where it's warm and welcoming for them until the responsibility of allowing others to come into the world is passed down to them. And so, this never-ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth has repeated itself for thousands of years, ever since the dawn of all living things.

'When you enrolled to be a shinobi,' Guy said, 'you swore to dedicate your heart for humanity. The more you dedicate your heart, the greater the price is, thus a greater pain that your heart must carry for the rest of your life. Yet, with this price being said, your soul's strength will forever be venerated, as one of the few who were dareful enough to venture in such far, deep seas, and one of the only ones who resisted and survived the currents that pushed you to give up and to lower your expectancies of what your true potential is.'

Kaiya thanked the man for his wisdom. As she thought of his words, she wondered how she never took a moment to notice how wise her teacher could be. As silly as he would act, he could be wiser in a level much superior to his silliness. It was quite astonishing once you got to know him, and Kaiya couldn't be more grateful for that. She was grateful for everyone around her, and for the home she found. Even if they weren't related by blood, she felt closer and more to them than with many people. Kaiya couldn't help but smile. _She finally had a home._

_***tsuka: japanese sword handle.**_

**A/N**

**Me: (writes a 3K chapter in a month)**

**Also me: (writes a 2.6K chapter in a week)**

**_That_**** is very muc e. So, I've been feeling a little sick and tired for a little while now, and my anxiety really said **? ? **because of the whole coronavirus thing going around. Don't worry tho, it's just a light case of the flu that decided to pass by me this winter. But like, it was the night between Sunday and Monday, it was 11:30 PM and my body went like n o. I felt sick AF, I couldn't sleep and writing inspiration hit me. I wrote 1.6K in one sitting, between 11:30 PM and 12:50 AM.**

**Anyhow, we're done with this chapter, Kaiya's home and now it's time to prepare for the war arc! *Excitement enters the chat***

**-Avery**


	25. 25 Answers

Days came and went as Kaiya's body healed. Her wound would still hurt sometimes, but with the doctors' help, it healed nicely. It would stop hurting, eventually, but it would leave a mark. That's what they said. Kaiya couldn't say she was happy with another wound mark on her body, but it wasn't like she had a choice. A mark was better than losing a limb.

When the doctors had nothing more to do with Kaiya's wound and she was in a stable condition, Kaiya was finally allowed to go back to her apartment. She was glad for that and she hoped that Danzo could cut her some slack and let her stay in Konoha for the upcoming few weeks. As she entered her apartment, she came to the following conclusions:

-Her apartment was a mess and needed a proper cleaning.

-With the ghost gone, the apartment gave off a very empty and lonely vibe.

-There was a note on her kitchen table.

Kaiya frowned lightly as she took the piece of paper in her hands.

_Danzo is dead. Sasuke Uchiha killed him. _

_-Torune_

There were many things Kaiya expected to see, but this wasn't one of them. Danzo's death in that fight could mean one of two things- Sasuke Uchiha was really strong, or Danzo allowed to be killed. Hell, maybe even both. Anyhow, the news of Danzo's death was relieving in a way. No more terrorising of people, especially those poor members of the Root.

A knock on the door made Kaiya jump a little. She opened the door to see the familiar face of a lady with black, short hair in a navy blue kimono and with a small pig in her arms.

'Shizune-San!' Kaiya exclaimed. 'How can I help you?'

'Can you check on Tsunade-sama? The doctors said she's in a more stable state now, but...'

'I'm not a doctor, Shizune-san. I can hardly do a healing jutsu.'

'I know, but you work with the dead, don't you? Tsunade-sama nearly died in her coma. I want you to see if she's becoming more conscious or not.'

Kaiya put her hand on Tsunade's forehead. Even if she could already feel the woman's energy, something she learned through the past years was that you'll get in a much better connection with a person's spirit if you make contact with their body. Kaiya closed her eyes for a moment and focused. The woman's spirit was still inside her body, and she couldn't communicate with it.

'She's alive,' Kaiya informed, 'but tired. She'll...'

She paused for a moment, as she felt how Tsunade's spirit took in a lot of energy.

'What is it?'

Before Kaiya could say anything, Tsunade's hand began twitching.

'She's waking up,' Kaiya said, eventually.

Tsunade didn't hurry when opening her eyes, before analysing the dark tent and the people around her. Confusion appeared as she noticed Kaiya next to her.

'Why are you here?' She asked, directly.

'I was asked to come and check on your state, Tsunade-sama.'

'But you're not a doctor.'

'I know, that's what I said. But they insisted.'

Tsunade frowned. 'Where's Shizune?'

'Right here, Tsunade-sama!' Shizune said, relief present in her voice. Even Tonton, the small pig in Shizune's arms, oinked happily.

'How long have I been out?'

'Three weeks.' Shizune informed.

Tsunade stood in a sitting position immediately, alarmed. 'Who took the lead, then? What happened?'

'Nothing much, Tsunade-sama,' Kaiya said. 'Pain died, Naruto saved the village. The people who died were brought back to life due to a jutsu used by Pain. Danzo took the lead, but he died a few days ago. He was killed by Sasuke Uchiha in a fight.'

Tsunade looked at the girl, amazed. 'Danzo's dead? Sasuke Uchiha killed him? Don't tell me that this foolish old man went after that boy!'

'He didn't. It was quite the opposite, really. Danzo attended the Kage Summit, and on the way back, we were ambushed by Madara and Sasuke Uchiha.'

'_Madara_ _Uchiha? We?_ What are you blabbering about?'

Kaiya let herself drop in a sitting position and crossed her legs...

'Danzo requested me to be one of the four ANBU members to keep him safe at a Summit summoned by the Raikage.'

She told the woman everything and in detail, about how Danzo was accused by using Shisui Uchiha's eye, the alliance between the nations, Madara's attack and the other dimension she and the ANBU members were sent to. While Tsunade listened and cursed under her breath, Shizune couldn't help but feel shocked at what happened.

'This is an outrage!' Tsunade said after the girl finished. 'That boy did right to kill Danzo.'

Kaiya stood up with a sigh. 'Maybe, but that'll only add one more person to his murder list. It only makes it harder for Naruto to find him.'

Tsunade let out an exasperated puff.

'Don't tell me that that boy is still looking for Sasuke. Where is he now?'

Kaiya paused for a moment, making eye contact with Shizune.

'Looking for Sasuke. Sakura-san went after him to tell him something, along with Lee and Kiba. From what I understand, it's something to convince him to come back to Konoha and abandon his mission of finding Sasuke.'

'Although I doubt it, I still hope it works.'

Shizune raised her eyebrows for a moment, as she thought. 'You have a point, Tsunade-sama. Naruto's stubborn, but still. Let's just hope for the best.'

It didn't work. Sakura, Kiba and Lee returned empty-handed. As Kaiya was later informed, Sakura's plan was to confess to Naruto about her love for him and how it was foolish and immature of her to ask him for such great favour of bringing Sasuke back.

'Didn't she like Sasuke or something?' Kaiya asked Kiba as they walked down the street.

'She's been head over heels for that guy ever since I remember. She's still like that, though.'

'Why did she lie to Naruto, then? It's not okay to play with someone's feelings like that,' Kaiya paused, 'Wait, was there anything between Sakura and Naruto?'

Kiba shook his head in disagreement.

'Nah, not really. Naruto had a massive crush on Sakura when we were like, twelve, but he kinda grew out of it. He must've realised there was no way for her to have the same feelings for him.'

'So when Sakura went and 'confessed' to him, he just rejected her?'

'Pretty much.' Kiba nodded, 'He figured out she said that in order to get something from him.'

Kaiya shook her head, lightly.

'It's for a good reason, and the plan wasn't bad, but is it really worth to manipulate someone like that? Naruto's stubborn, and he has a big heart. Even with those good intents, if he'd believe her, it would eventually break him even more, wouldn't it?'

'Yeah.'

It wasn't rocket science- someone with a big heart tended to believe and to be hurt more. Someone stubborn sticks with his ideas. Someone with both tends to be very conflicted between his heart's dreams and feelings. Someone with neither is empty on the inside.

The sky was painted with a plentitude of colourful, warm tones that gave off a peaceful feeling in the cold weather. The first days of spring came around along with its first signs of taking over winter's place. Upon many people's dissatisfaction, the weather had yet to be one of the. The streets in Konoha's centre were now swarming with people who were, just like Kaiya, doing their last errands. As for Kaiya, the only thing she had yet to solve for that day was to do some grocery shopping.

As she walked through the village, she couldn't help but feel how a bittersweet, empty ambience found itself onto her. War was coming. Just as things began to get better, a tsunami of tragedy would come again and destroy everything in its way. She would lose her home again, just like last time. Now, she might even lose people. Last time, she had luck with some sort of miracle that spared her from the pain of losing people, but now might not be the case. People die, and it hurts, but you have to eventually move on. Such a thing was complicated for Kaiya when she lost her brother. Of course, it would be hard for an eight-year-old to deal with death, especially when it feels like it's their fault. It still hurt sometimes, as every death she met had brought up the memory of her brother, but she grew into knowing how to cope with the pain. As a shinobi, there was no other option.

She wanted to settle down, live a simple life. Be a shinobi, help the village with what she could, marry someone, hell, maybe even have kids. But seeing the war ahead, it seemed like those dreams were nothing but a distant hope for survival. As she reached the now lonely streets outside Konoha's market, Kaiya puffed. One day, Konoha might become so lonely, with no people to run on its streets and to occupy its buildings, and with no one to carry on the stories told by the prophets that started this world of light and darkness. It was almost nostalgic. She couldn't help but think about one of the songs she grew up with, in the land of lighting. It was one of her father's favourite songs.

_'Lady, running down to the riptide_,' she hummed, '_Taken away to the dark side,_  
_I wanna be your left-hand man. I love you when you're singing that song and I got a lump in my throat 'cause...'_

'Kaiya! Hello.' A voice behind Kaiya called out. 'How are you?'

Kaiya turned her head around to see the familiar face of a girl with short, pink hair and turquoise eyes. Seeing her face, the pink-haired girl's smile faded away, leaving room for shock to appear on her face.

'Hi, Sakura,' Kaiya smiled, 'I'm good, thank you. What about you?'

The girl caught up to Kaiya and looked at her worryingly.

'I- I'm good. What... What happened to your face? Where did you get those scars?'

'Oh, a family argument.' Kaiya laughed lightly. 'A cousin of mine and I grew up having a pretty bad relationship and during my last visit home I burst the bubble of illusions he lived in. This was the result. Everything's okay now, though, so don't worry.'

The girl's worry didn't leave her face. If anything, it appeared worse now. Sakura sighed as the two began walking.

'Is your family that bad?' she asked.

'Mostly, yeah.'

'Wow,' Sakura said as she kicked a pebble in front of her, making it slide a few meters ahead down the stone pathway, 'No wonder you wanted to leave that place.'

Kaiya closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head lightly. People often make assumptions, but few of them deserved an explanation. After a while, the one who knows the truth grows tired of fighting the many lies ahead. 'Did you have any luck with Sasuke?'

Sakura shook her head. 'No. We found him, but he wouldn't listen.'

Silence fell between the two for a while, as neither of them had anything to say, both of them looking at the ground.

'Sakura,' Kaiya said, calmly, 'You love Sasuke, don't you?'

Sakura raised her head to look at the girl, a confused surprise laying in her eyes.

'I do.'

'Then fight for it. But please, for the love of God, don't push in or hurt other people for it. 'Kaiya paused to look at the girl in the eyes, 'Have you ever tried to put yourself in his shoes?'

'I... I don't think so.' Sakura answered, with honesty.

'Okay. If you ever do, don't go like _I'm from a big family, I have the Sharingan, I'm very strong_, please. Let's imagine this: You're from a big family with many strong people and a complex Kekkei Genkai you're expected to master sooner or later. You have an older sibling you idolize and love, just like everyone else. They're so smart, loving, so... _perfect. _Everyone seems to always talk about your sibling, but never you. But you never judge them, though. You still adore your sibling. But one day, you come from a school like any other day, excited to see your family, only to find out they're gone. _They're all gone. _You want to know who did that, only to find out that the one responsible is your most adored sibling. How would you feel? What would you do? Believe me, if I were in his shoes, a love interest would be the last thing I would think about. So if you ever find yourself with the chance to be next to him, don't force it on him. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll appreciate it a lot.'

Sakura pursed her lips. She sometimes thought about what tragedies Sasuke went through, but never this much. It felt odd, in a way. It was like something so obvious that she was blind to until someone pointed it out for her. Then... it became so painfully obvious that she felt stupid for not noticing.

'Don't stress so much about it,' Kaiya said, 'You're in love. When in love, someone tends to be blind to certain flaws someone has. At least that's what my mother would say.'

'Do you have anyone?'

'Hm?'

'Do you have a boyfriend?' Sakura asked.

She hoped that the girl would be able to relate to her and still be alone. Sadly, fate wasn't on Sakura's side on that matter.

'I do, actually! He's the best person I could ever ask for.'

It was a little disappointing, but Sakura felt somewhat happy for the girl. It seemed like she didn't have the luck this time. She forced a smile. 'Tell me more about them.'

'Well, he's really sweet and caring, and he always works hard. He's striving to be the best version of himself every day. I didn't think a man could be so affectionate as him. He's really special to me.'

Sakura smiled. _So love like that really existed, huh?_ For all she could hope, she would find someone like that.

'Do I know them?'

Kaiya laughed lightly. 'Of course. It's Lee.'

Sakura felt her heart drop for a moment, as memories of a few years back came back to her. The thirteen-year-old boy that once continuously courted her in order to get the smallest crumb of attention was now in a relationship?

'You're dating Lee?' Sakura asked, incredulously.

'Yup. I couldn't ask for a better person, really.'

Sakura took a moment to take it in. Lee grew up. He matured. The green-clothed athletic boy didn't hang onto a silly, childhood crush, but moved on and found true love with someone destined to be his to love and to protect. She didn't.

No matter how hard she tried, something in her heart always returned to Sasuke. She didn't even know what. She knew it was stupid- Sasuke was a missing-nin. He was dangerous. He was a murderer. He was a terrorist. But something in him told her about in how much need of love that he is, and that he needed someone to be there for him, no matter what and to listen to his words without rejecting him. He needed a family, and she was willing to give it to him.

'What's wrong?' Lee asked worryingly as he sat next to Kaiya on the couch of her living room.

That evening was far from alright. Kaiya couldn't do anything but zone out and feel more and more anxious with every minute that passed.

'I don't know,' Kaiya said, softly, 'I think it's this whole war thing. I don't want a war to happen.'

Lee sighed lightly as Kaiya pushed herself in his arms.

'War means losing people,' Kaiya explained, 'I don't want to lose people. I don't want to lose _you_.'

Lee looked at the girl as he massaged her arm, gently. 'You don't have to worry about me. We might lose people, but it'll be fine. It'll end, somehow. It'll be fine. We'll still be together, and everything will go back to normal. Eventually.'

Kaiya bit her lip as she thought of the boy's words.

'Thank you. I still need some fresh air. I'll be back soon.'

Kaiya grabbed her jacket and exited the apartment. Walking down the dark alleys, it's easy to notice how Konoha gave off a different kind of feeling, especially in those moments. Through the chilly air of the night and the empty alleyways that were lightened by nothing but occasional street lamps and a bright sky full of stars, it felt like a distant home. It was just like when you've been living in a place you started to call home and then returning to your first real home. You know it was your home, but something was off with it. Something in it wasn't your home anymore. As it seemed, Kaiya wasn't the only one who couldn't stay in as a presence could be felt somewhere behind Kaiya, on the fence next to her.

'Can't sleep either, huh?'

A tall, relaxed figure appeared next to Kaiya that greeted her with a curious look.

'Good evening, Kakashi-san.' Kaiya greeted.

'I wouldn't call this evening, but I guess it's fitting. Do you mind if I join you on this midnight walk?'

Kaiya shook her head.

'Not at all.'

'So what's bothering you, kid? I've never heard of anyone that suddenly picks up the habit of walking at night alone without having something on their mind.'

'The war. That's it.'

Kakashi remained silent for a few moments, as he looked at the sky.

'You know,' he said, 'I've also been in the Third Shinobi War. This would be my second war in which I'll have to go through.'

'It must be terrible.'

'It is. A lot of stuff happened in the last war, but I've grown to the conclusion that living in the past really isn't worth it. Whether it is a person, a prejudice or belief, you must always work for the future. Whatever happens, do everything possible to improve yourself. You will lose people along the way, but that's how this works. People come and leave your life. It's painful, but you can't stop others from their own happiness.'

Kaiya nodded.

'Kakashi-san.'

'Yes?'

'Why did you abandon my mother and me?'

It was a question she didn't like that she had. She had a father in the Kobayashi basecamp, she didn't need another one, but even so, with the knowledge that the father figure that raised her wasn't the same as her biological one, she often found herself with the thought, '_why though_'? She hoped that some closure on the matter would stop her from questioning it all. That was something she came to terms with only recently. Having two fathers didn't affect her life directly, but seeing the village's views and her sudden discovery, she needed something that would allow her to move on easier.

Kakashi bit his lip. Why did he leave it all behind? Why did he hurt those people? He didn't know either. It was immature. He was immature back then, and he was even more immature at that moment for never considering to talk to Kaiya about it. He always thought about her struggles because of him, but never thought of helping her. _What an absolute fool that he was._

'Look. When I met your mother, I was going through a very difficult time. It was not too long after gaining the rank of ANBU. You've been in there too, weren't you?'

Kaiya's eyes widened. 'Yes. How did you know?'

'Let's just say I know a person or two everywhere in Konoha, especially Shinobi,' Kakashi said, with a smile, 'I was going through a tough time where I lost myself. I lived strictly by the Shinobi rules and when I didn't see a future ahead of me that held anything except the strictness I forced on myself. Your family welcomed me during a hard mission and healed me. They didn't look down on me. They didn't know who I was, or who my parents were. For the first time in years, I felt like I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I was welcomed there which such warmth back then that I kept returning after that.'

Kaiya smiled sympathetically as she listened to the man. Growing up without a family must've been a struggle, especially with the expectations put on him. She could even consider herself lucky for not experiencing this. As much as her relatives used to dislike her, they were always still there for her.

'I got to know your mother and, in time, I began feeling something for her. I took as many solo missions as possible in that area, in order to pass by the Kobayashi to see her. I never got to stay too long if uninjured, but my visits were frequent, and she didn't mind as long as I still passed by. After a couple of months of visits, we became extremely close, and she convinced me to remain the night in the clan. She talked about how it would be a special feast for the moon.'

'The full moon feast?'

Kakashi nodded. The Kobayashi had a feast in the night when the moon was full and shone the brightest.

'You sure had some good luck to pass by that night.' Kaiya said.

The white-haired man laughed lightly as he scratched the back of his head.

'I suppose I did. The feast was beautiful, I remember it perfectly. The people were so nice to me, it felt like I truly belonged somewhere. That night, Fuzasane and I spend a lot of time together, and... things happened. I didn't think much of it at the time. But at my next visit, about a week or so later, she told me about how she was pregnant, with _my child_. Her family was ready to welcome me as a new member of the family and to raise the child along with Fuzasane, but I... I couldn't. At that moment, I couldn't see myself as anything but a shinobi. There was no way I could become a father at that time. I was sincere with Fuzasane about it, we got into an argument, and I left and never came back.'

Kaiya puffed lightly. 'You were a confused child.'

Kakashi pursed his lips.

'I'm sorry for what happened. I want to apologise for... y'know, never being there for you and not caring enough. I don't ask you to forgive me, but I want you to know that I'm sorry. You don't deserve any explanation from me because there is no worthy explanation for my deeds. I missed an amazing experience because of my fears.'

For a moment, Kaiya looked at Kakashi and smiled sincerely.

'Thank you.'

Kakashi closed his eyes, not being able to hold the eye contact. 'Do you hate me?'

Kaiya laughed.

'I don't, it's far from me. Hate is a strong word, and I can't say that I've experienced hate by its true meaning. What has happened is sad, but no one can change the past. You weren't there for me, but I'm glad I got the chance to talk to you about it. So thank you for doing that.'

'Thank you for accepting me in your life.'

**A/N**  
**Hello, everyone! How are y'all doing?**

**Chapter 25 is here! So, from the next chapter, I'll begin writing the war arc, and am I hyped up about it? Yes. I've wanted to write it for so long, and now it's finally time to do it!**

**Without giving any spoilers, I'm glad to say that some characters from the** **OG** **Naruto will make an appearance, and honestly? Y e s.**

**On a side note, because I haven't posted in a small chunk of time, I managed to write 3.9K of words in this chapter, so enjoy!**

**-Avery**


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